Pandora Pandemonium
by TheGrandSpecter
Summary: Presenting an independent story from Pandora Hearts... A strange young girl confronts Xerxes Break seeking to uncover the whereabouts of the B-Rabbit Alice from the Pandora agents.
1. Chapter 1

~A Strange Girl~

"What a strange girl!" The little blue doll exclaimed, comically. Its smile, a curved crescent moon, sent a chill down my spine. Long chestnut brown hair flowed down the back of the doll's lovely pink dress. A purple bow held the top of its hair. Its hollow white eyes stared at me as if peering through me.

"Oh Emily, how rude of you! Naughty girl!"

The blue doll was perched on the left shoulder of young gentleman sprawled out on a bloated crimson couch at the corner of the study room. He had short pure-white hair, most of which covered his left eye. His right eye was blood-red. The man had the most twisted smile, almost perverted yet charismatic. He wore a long dark blue coat that wrapped tight round his torso and spread out like wings at the bottom, baggy black pants cut past knees, and large white boots each with a single black strap across the foot. The strange man's fingers slipped under his purple undershirt and revealed a small silver tin. Intricate carvings of candy decorated the sides. He held it up to his face, waving the silver tin, beckoning me closer.

"Want some candy, little girl?" He grinned, maniacally.

I stared at him, puzzled then contemplated, staring at the candy tin in his hand. "What kind?" I asked.

"All sorts!" He proclaimed, happily.

I took a step forward, excited a little at the thought of candy. I imagined the taste of peppermint, chocolate, butterscotch, and so many more other flavors. My mouth watered.

"But first, you must do something for me, my dear." He asserted, slyly.

Surprised, I stumbled back a little, tripping over the violet ruffled rug beneath me and landing hard onto the floor.

"You must join Pandora!" The man stated, excitedly.

My face flushed with untimely embarrassment and a storm of uncontrolled anger. "You jerk! Stupid Jester!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. I tried to remain calm, breathing heavily. I looked towards the man's face. He was in a stupor. His eyes stayed on me for the longest time, scanning my behavior. Then he blinked and smirked modestly.

"You remind me of Alice with that temper of yours." The hearty man said, rising from his chair. He approached the window to his left, watching the specks of white snow flutter down past the glass.

"Alice?" I asked, pondering that familiar name.

"Yes…but…" The man turned from the snowy window; a wide grin spreading across his face. "Too bad the little bunny is now dead."

"Alice? Dead?" I questioned in wonder.

"Unfortunately yes..." The man grinned.

"That mean rabbit deserved it!" The doll on his shoulder screeched.

"Don't be so cruel, Emily, Alice…." The smiling man started.

"Alice…I've heard of her…the B-Rabbit…" I whispered.

"Oh...then…" The man's eyes sharpened towards me, curiosity oozing from him.

"I hate her." I mouthed, bitterly.

The man's eyes became wide with astonishment at this.

"That rabbit…she…I will never forgive her."

The man smiled, evilly. "Well…the young miss is dead…Need not worry over such things now."

"Wrong! Mr., she has taken it with her."


	2. Chapter 2

"So…. the notorious B-Rabbit has something precious to you…." The odd white-haired gentleman said gently. He had turned his gaze away from me and now had his full attention on the delicate pale snowflakes that cluttered against the chalky frosted window. Stooped against the wooden sill of the old window, the refined but curious man peered out into the swirling expanse of sputtering snow and wind. A deep curl of a sinister smile appeared on his face. "..Interesting." He said, gleefully but as he turned away from the window, instead of smiling, he frowned with concern. "And just… what are you?"

"I….I should asking you that!" I shouted, angrily, still situated upon the violet rug underneath me; my bottom still sore from the impact of the fall.

"Oh! We haven't introduced ourselves yet." The white-haired man beamed and bowed. "I am Xerxes Break…and this here is Emily." He pointed to the frivolous doll on his shoulder. "Isn't she just lovely?" He raved, merrily.

I stared at the doll with disgust, hoping that its smile would just disappear. "Yes, very lovely." I said, sarcastically, shaking my head with disapproval.

"And what are you called?" The vibrant gentleman leaned down to face me, placing his serene right hand along my left cheek, and gazed deep into my indigo eyes with his one red one.

"My name… is Ruin." I stuttered, shivering with uneasiness.

"Quite a peculiar name…destruction is it?" Break ran his fingers through my short but curly dark-brown hair and frowned.

"Why exactly did you bring me here?" I asked, confused, gawking into his dark crimson eye.

Break's smile faded and what came after, rapidly and tremendously, was a ludicrously absurd laugh. "Silly, I didn't bring you here. Raven did…and its good thing he did. He felt sorry for you, sitting alone on the street and all. Such a cute and foolish little girl." He teased, chuckling as he did it. "…But I noticed that you aren't some ordinary kid, are you?" As his menacing eyes bore down on me, my body froze stiff, feeling the slight hint of nausea.

"I…"

"I would like you to join Pandora." Break said, smiling tenderly, gesturing to the small silver tin he still grasped in his hand.

"Wha?"

He plucked the container open revealing small wrapped candies inside and as he reached into the pocket in his dark blue coat, he uncovered a cherry-red lollipop, plopping it into his mouth. He suckled on the lollipop then bit down, crunching the hardened sweet sugar between his teeth and after spewed out the remaining stick.

"Do you have chocolate?"


	3. Chapter 3

"I suppose I have chocolate." Break speculated, tucking his right hand into his jacket. "My My… don't we fancy sweets, my dear," He murmured, craftily, teasing as I clasped the small golden wrapper he laid in my hand, and chuckling as he laid his hand on my shoulder.

"You have no room to talk." I remarked, hastily unwrapping the small block of fudge and sliding it into my mouth as the creamy taste of the bitter-sweet morsel wetted my tongue.

"Yes, well, welcome to Pandora. I'll see to all the necessary accommodations to ensure you fully registered. For now, I'll have you go see _him_. I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly as you both are… rather odd." He said hurriedly as he ushered me out of the room, chuckling to himself, and chewing on yet another lollipop.

When the door flew open, a young girl with wavy caramel brown hair tied with a large purple ribbon stumbled back away from the doorway; her pink eyes widened at the sight of me. She held a silver tray of steaming tea, oozing with light milky cream.

"Oh. Lady Sharon." Break exclaimed, earnestly, with a jovial smile.

"Why Break, who is this?" Sharon asked, smiling warmly, presenting the tray to me, gesturing at one of the cups on the tray. I carefully lifted one from the tray and held it steadily as the tea was set on the brim, about to spill if I even slightly tipped it. Some cream slid down my hand, and I licked it away modestly, staring up into Sharon's puzzled eyes.

"Thanks for the tea." I said, softly, smiling daintily, attempting a small curtsy while stabilizing the cup in my hands.

"Oh, this here is the newest member of Pandora. Be nice Lady Sharon, and try not to scare her off." He said, patting my head.

"A contractor?" She suggested with bewilderment then glared at Break. "Where did you find her?"

"My Lady, this young woman needs to go see that Oz. Forgive me, but I must go."

"Wait! Break!" Sharon called, reaching out to grab his coat, and careful not to spill the tea, but Break already disappeared down the corridor. She fell out of balance, tripping over her dress, stumbling back, and the tray of tea slipped from her hands.

I threw myself in front of her, and extended my arm, catching the silver tray on my palm gently, and steadily balanced it, widening my eyes in concentration. Sharon stared in surprise and awe; her hand to her chest as she breathed wearily.

"Thank…you." Sharon sputtered; her chest heaving. After a moment, she collected herself. "So you are a contractor? What is your name?" She asked, placing her hand on my free hand.

"Contractor?" I said, bemused.

"Do you not know?" She asked, puzzled. "Has the incuse appeared?" She muttered to herself, as she gently touched my neck, and then clasped my collar. "May I?" She glanced back at me.

"Hey…what…are you…?" I stuttered, backing away; my face flushing light red. She tugged my collar down my chest slowly, unfastening the buttons, staring deeply as if searching for something but I immediately grabbed her fingers, hindering her. She pondered at me.

"Here." Sharon whispered as she gently collected the tea tray from my right hand and set it upon the ground beside the door, gingerly.

"Seems like Break has taken an interest in you….come this way please." Sharon said, delightfully, grabbing hold of my cold hands and leading me through the grimly lit hallway, passing by flickering lanterns lined along the walls. Sharon's hands were pleasantly warm, like the touch of pure glowing sunlight. Being as simple-minded as I was, I would waste no time and petty words. I had to follow.

In time, Sharon and I arrived at a strange but elaborate door lined with gold, beholding a large gilded doorknob embedded with crystal. Bright white light showered out from behind the keyhole. Sharon turned the knob and persuaded me inside.

A gold-haired young boy lay on the floor of the library nearby the fireplace. He was curled up in a ball, snoring soundly, against a couple of bulging white pillows; his face sunk between the pillows.

"This here is Oz, the heir to the Dukedom of Vessalius." Sharon said, mysteriously.

I stared at Oz, then leaned down to poke and prod him, curiously. He hugged the pillows underneath him tighter, burying his head deeper and deeper into the pillows.

"But…I…" I turned back to Sharon but she was gone. I shrugged, looking down at the sleeping Oz in daydream land. "Brilliant…"

"Hey Mister Oz….Oz…Oz...Mister Oz….Oz!" I whispered, loudly. I poked him continuously in the shoulder and the side. "Hellloooooo….."

Suddenly Oz moved so suddenly, I fell back. Oz opened his eyes gradually, peering up towards me, puzzled. Drool trickled from his mouth. Suddenly his emerald eyes widened with shock. He shot up from the pillows, scratching his head and turning his face from me, embarrassedly.

"Um…who are you, my Lady?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Um…who are you, my Lady?"

Taken aback in surprise by his friendly and charming attitude, I stuttered in nervousness. "My name…My name…?"

Oz widened his eyes at me, curiously. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He looked to the ground. His childish disposition caused me to feel somewhat guilty for being so indirect.

"My name…my name…is Ruin." I staggered. I held the sides of my dark blue coat, clenching them with angst.

"Ruin? But you're so cute. How can you be "Ruin?" He smiled, kindly.

I blushed, feeling a wave of powerful heat rush through my body, and when his eyes met mine with interest, my heart beat faster.

"My name is just Ruin." I said, bluntly, looking down in retaliation.

"Um, Miss Ruin…how do you know my name?" Oz twiddled a lock of his blonde hair nervously.

"Duke of Vessalius, Oz, right? A girl named Sharon called you that." I said, blankly, staring at him with uneasiness.

"Are you also a member of Pandora?" He asked, as he pulled his legs up to his stomach and hugged them tight, glancing at me with eyes much like growing green orbs.

I could still taste the sweet creamy chocolate on my tongue and the sinister smile of that jester Break. "I am." I said with a grim tone.

"Um…Ruin…have you heard anything…about Alice?" He whispered softly; his tone filled with a deep sorrow. His body trembled and he tightened his grip on his legs.

I froze. "Alice?" My eyes kept fixed on Oz in amazement. "…B-Rabbit?" The frightful tone in my voice caused Oz to flinch. A violent burning malice arose within the pit of my stomach and flooded my body.

Oz widened his eyes at me. "Have you heard from Alice?"

"Alice…Alice…Alice is lost…" I whispered, softly.


	5. Chapter 5

Oz's gaze fixed on me then he smiled cheerfully. "Of course Alice is lost, silly. That is why Gil is out looking for her. She couldn't have gotten far." He giggled.

"Oz…" My cold voice was but a whisper. "Mister Oz, I don't think you understand...Alice…" I started. Suddenly, there was a loud jolting noise.

"Has been found!" a familiar voice explained. Surprised, Oz and I both turned our heads towards the door. Our eyes caught Break, leaning against the frame of the door, beaming with delight, portraying his playful but reasonably spooky smile like before. Sharon silently appeared from behind him.

"Found?" I murmured, aghast.

"Really?" Oz's face lit up with joy.

Break stared in curiosity; his crimson eye fixed to Oz. By his expression, he seemed concerned by Oz's carefree face.

"Apparently, the naughty little rabbit has gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble." Break stated. He paraded into the room, approaching a large polished mahogany table. Pastries of all kinds adorned the decorative glass plates with gold trim. I hadn't noticed them before.

"We have to save Alice!" Oz shouted desperately at Break. Oz's determination stunned Break, who sneered.

"Oh, so you will go into the Abyss to save dear Alice." Break pinched the end of a silver fork at the tips of his fingers. "The brave knight, swooping to the little maiden's rescue…" He chuckled. He plunged his fork into a slice of spongy chocolate cake. "And what will you do when you face her"?" He whispered. Break's right red eye directed to me. He raised his fork and devoured the cake upon it in one bite. All eyes in the room suddenly shifted to me. Their gazes felt like cold iron against my skin.

"Um…Ruin?" Oz's voice trembled.

"Alice…." I bit my tongue, the taste of blood wavering. "We will find Alice." I faced Break with my finger pointing straight at him. "You hear that! We will find Alice!" I laughed loudly, which startled Break, who dropped his fork, which clattered against his plate. There was complete silence. He, then, chuckled.

"Ms. Sharon?"

"Yes." Sharon's small voice answered but it wasn't her that drew everyone's attention, but a powerful black and purple energy that flooded out from within her. It took form in the shape of a massive blackish unicorn with mane of purple flames. A large fiery hoof pawed the ground and the entire room shook. Everyone struggled to regain balance. I fell back, trembling in terror.

"This is Ms. Sharon's chain, Equus. Equus has the ability to enter the Abyss, taking us with it, and from there we can uncover Ms. Alice. Take in mind, the Abyss is a dark, never-ending, not to mention dangerous place. You have been there once before, Oz…as have I." He placed his hand under his white hair where his left eye should be, smiling softly. "Have you seen the Abyss, Ms. Ruin?" His mouth widened into a grin, and he began walking steadfast towards Oz and I. He suddenly broke into a run and in frenzy, grasped hold of Oz's wrist, and I, by my collar and plunged us into the shadow of Equus. We were swallowed by black and violet fire. Many moments passed. My eyes opened and while the world was a mass of black shadows, we were floating downwards quietly into the heart of Abyss where time seemed to not exist.


	6. Chapter 6

~The Abyss~

My entire body felt heavy and cold. I opened my mouth to inhale but a dark bitter liquid rushed into my throat. Choking, the darkness held me down and as I clawed for surface, the black darkness swirled quickly around me. Suddenly, I felt a hand on me grab a large handful of the back of my coat, and sharply tug me upward. I broke through a thick surface. The black liquid ran down my body, dripping back into the body of black sea beneath me. I stared up at my rescuer. Break looked back at me with cold eyes. He released me and I plopped back into the black water. My feet touched bottom and I stood without any trouble.

"It figures you might drown once we had entered Abyss." Break chuckled in amusement. His red eye seemed brighter in the dim expanse of Abyss.

"I can swim just fine!" I shouted, angrily. I stared at my feet, which were invisible beneath the black water. "This is…?" I stretched out a hand into the water and lifted it, staring at the dark red liquid running slowly between my fingers. "This is blood!" I began to panic. Two hands held my shoulders gently. "Calm down." Break whispered. "Look around." I looked up from my hands and gazed in shock at the world similar to that of a toy box, housing needless trinkets worn down and broken through the expanse of time. "This is Abyss." He whispered.

"Quite a hellhole." I muttered.

"Yes." Break chuckled. "Oz..." He turned to Oz, smiling. "Oz, since Alice is not able to use her powers and Raven is not here…you are sadly useless so I will have to take care of any nuisances we might run into."

"Where is he?" Oz asked, innocently.

"He is currently with his brother, explaining the situation."

"What situation?"

"Why, Ruin, of course." Break pointed with a long staff that suddenly appeared from within his long blue coat, lowering it as he talked. "Gilbert found her so it's only natural that he would tell Vincent. It's lucky he found her too. She would have starved if he hadn't….and she _is_ a special case, one with personal connections to Alice."

"Personal connections?" Oz's eyes froze to mine.

"Who is this Vincent?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Oh, nobody really, no one important." Break nonchalantly turned his body away from me.

"What do you know?" I demanded, sharply.

Break smirked. "I know that _you_ are hiding something, Ms. Ruin."

Oz stared at me from behind Break with growing green eyes.

I turned my eyes from his gaze. I refused to allow him to read my eyes and catch the deep bitterness within them. Hiding from Oz's gaze caused me to feel as if there was a heavy stone within my stomach, causing me to suffer from the inside out. _Oz, he cared about Alice. He wants to see her again. Is it as that Break says? Could she truly be in this world? And Vincent…?_

_ "_Ms_. _Ruin! Watch out!" Oz's voice shouted through my conscience. A bone-chilling cry sounded from behind me, causing the ground around me to tremble. My veins felt as if they had been subsequently frozen in ice. Waves of thick blood hit me from behind_. _My eyes wandered from the sea of blood up to the pained face of Break. A trickle of blood ran down under his lips. "A… chain." He muttered, breathing heavily. He covered his mouth and coughed. Red blood seeped between his fingers. Break's sullen eyes stared at me in a daze. I gasped as I saw what lingered above him. An enormous flowing cape, topped with a wide black hat and in the center of the two, a long silver chain featuring a small skull. A terrifying red eye was open in the center. "This is… Mad… Hatter…" He stuttered, leaning on his staff to support his weakened body.

"More… are coming." Break whispered. Another trickle of blood streamed from the corner of his mouth. He took the hilt of his staff in his hands. Suddenly, with a slight click, a long gleaming sword slipped out from within. His eyes darted to the right. My eyes followed his. A large white mummified body perched on long twisted claws wobbled closer. An overwhelming smell filled the air. In disgust, I covered my nose. This ominous creature reeked of a corpse. Although, I had heard tales about them, I had never before seen a Chain. Beady black eyes were stitched into its swollen head. Its neck was nothing more than a thick white thread. A dark blood-like substance oozed from within its deep eye sockets and mouth. Its mouth was once stitched close but the crazed Chain had ripped its mouth wide open. Suddenly, it directed its gaze towards me and charged forward on its spider-like legs. Break brandished his weapon, and flew towards the creature in midair. All I saw was the gleam of silver, a flash of light and the chain's head dropped. It struck the water, sending another crushing wave of blood over me and slowly disappeared from beneath the surface.

"Ms. Ruin!" Oz's desperate voice cried out to me. Oz had swept farther away from me and struggled in the disturbed sea of blood. Once I had found ground under me, I stood up, watching Break finishing off the Chain's body. It lashed out at him with its long black claws while Break sliced off each limb with one clean stroke. Suddenly, there was a strange noise against the quiet darkness. It was the sharp rattling of chains. I turned my body sharply, causing the blood water to swish below my knees, and squelched a few steps in the direction of the sound. I could faintly hear the sound of words whispering only in my ear. _Come….Come….Come to me…" _Maybe it was curiosity or some sense of independence that led me to follow the rising sound. I didn't even realize I was running until Break's voice called out after me. I didn't stop. Churning blood lapped at the bottoms of my coat and stained trousers. Small dim lamps scattered among the wreckage of broken toys and large glass trinkets lit my way, leading me deeper into the darkness. All of sudden, something had hold of me. Sharp fingernails dug into the soft flesh of both of my arms as the entity dragged me away with it. A bright light, shimmering with specks of crystal opened within Abyss, and I was flung into the gaping portal. A maniacal white grin spread out against the black atmosphere, a nightmarish farewell to send me off as it slowly faded into the shadows.


	7. Chapter 7

I lifted my head up from the red and black tiles. My eyes were heavy when I attempted to open them, and I squinted into the blinding bright light. My head was spinning and I felt nauseous but the light dimmed and my vision became clearer. I gasped at the creatures that were surrounding me. Dolls and stuffed animals floated around in the air, grinning maniacally and staring at me with their empty eyes. I could hear their shrill laughter, as I pushed myself from the floor and stumbled forward. I was inside a wide room with purple curtains decorating the shadowed windows and the entrance of a dark corridor on the right. A shiver ran down my spine and it was then I realized it was shockingly chilly. The air was so cold; my skin was numb while my fingers were frozen. The laughter of the marionettes and stuffed animals continued, growing ever so louder.

"Who are you?" A bitter voice echoed around the room. Suddenly, all noise died. I remained silent. After a few moments had passed, I heard the light patter of footsteps approaching closer and closer. My eyes kept themselves fixed to the corridor.

"Why are you here?" The voice whispered into my ear. In a panic, I jolted and turned to face the voice. A young girl stared back at me. Long snowy eyelashes fringed her lavender eyes. Her hair was pure-white like snow and two strands were braided on both sides of her head. She swayed away from me, dancing around me. Her wavy white hair and dress flowed around her as she danced. She wore a short frilly white dress laced around her chest and waist. Over the small dress, she wore an overdress that spread out under her waist. A large bow wrapped around her back. Her sleeves were long and laced around her upper arms. Black lace tightly circled her neck. Blue and white roses decorated her neck and waist.

"You are..."

The albino girl smiled softly. "I am Alice."

The girl advanced nearer to me, reaching her hand out to me. I recoiled away from her. "No…you can't be Alice. Where is the real Alice?" I demanded.

"Alice? Alice? Alice?" The imitation pondered.

"Where is Alice?!" I shouted, my eyes glowering in rage.

She laid her soft hand on my cheek. "Great pain…and suffering…because…of Alice….Alice…" She leaned in close. Her face brushed against mine. "Is it this Alice? You regret trusting this Alice?" My eyes widened in fear. "Do you wish to turn back the clock? Do you wish to change the past?" She grinned.

"No. The past should never be changed no matter how deeply I regret it. It was my sin. I don't need anything from you. You are nothing but an imitation, a fake Alice! I only want Alice!" I glared at her.

Suddenly, the girl's hands were around my throat, squeezing tightly. Her eyes became crazed and she grit her teeth. Her grip grew stronger. "You won't take Alice!"

All of a sudden, there was a loud splitting sound that caused the room to rumble. The ground shook violently, causing the stuffed animals and dolls to fly around in panic. The tiles cracked and broke beneath us. The shadowed glass panes shattered. Glass shards glimmered as they fell. The imitation Alice released me. She staggered backward, clutching her head with both hands, and screamed.

"They're breaking into my room! Get out of my room!" she shrieked, madly.

I covered my ears, desperate to block out her ear-splitting cries. My eyes lingered over to the dark corridor and back to the maddened imitation of Alice. The dolls and stuffed animals swarmed around the imitation, sweet-talking her with words to calm her down. My heart pounded in my chest as I lunged towards the corridor, wavering through the falling debris and tottering across the broken tiles. I tripped, scraping my leg on a jagged tile and fell through the corridor. My eyes were blind in darkness, the vast and obscure dimension, drifting, searching for an inkling of light. I found none. Suddenly, the resonance of a small sound tapped my eardrum. It was the slight rattling of the chains that I had heard before. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the metallic clinking of the chains. Suddenly, a sharp pain punctured my chest. My skin felt as if red-hot irons were burning into it. My heart throbbed faster. I felt as if a heavy fiery spiked ball had been placed between my ribs. I clutched my heart in agony. I opened my eyes. A bright light was shining brightly before me, glowing in brilliant radiance. The pain deepened like a sinking blade within my chest. The piercing rattling of chains became more boisterous. As the light faded, my eyes froze to what was hidden.


	8. Chapter 8

I gasped. A young girl floated upright in midair where the light had vanished. She was deathly still, but her face was peaceful. She had long glistening dark hair that flowed around her body, as specks of white light akin to bright stars danced around her. She wore a dark violet dress that cut off mid-thigh, and a black bow decorated her little neck. Her small feet were bare. Salmon-colored lace coiled around her thin fair legs. "This girl…? Was that "Alice" protecting her? Is this…Alice?" I reached out a hand and grasped onto her delicate wrist. Her skin was warm but her pulse was shallow. It was suddenly that I realized she was deep asleep, breathing slowly.

With a thundering crack, the dark heavens split. Its remains showered down upon us. A large black hole appeared above, swirling aggressively, like inside the belly of a great tornado. Protectively, I embraced the girl and held her close to me but just as our surroundings began to close in on us, a hand reached out from the core of the massive black and purple void. Overwhelmed with surprise, I seized hold of it as we were lifted up into darkness. A familiar face broke through; his eyes full of alarming panic and fear. It was Gilbert, Gilbert Nightray of the Nightray Dukedom.

"Ruin!" He shouted, releasing my hand.

I collapsed onto a hard wooden surface, slamming my head and knocking the wind out of me. Even with the little strength I had, I refused to move my body. I gazed into the sleeping face of the young girl beside me. My hand still clasped hers tightly. Slowly, I rolled my right eye back and gazed at the people huddled around me. The silvery moon hung balanced in the night sky, beyond the frosted window, and casted shadows on their faces. The numbing pain growing in my skull caused my eyes to weaken, and I slowly closed them in comfort. Everything was quiet.

_There was a garden, a garden filled with dark purple flowers nestled in the dark moist earth. A large grey stonewall sat between them and a tall tower rose up into the pale blue sky. A blurry small figure stood, looking gloomily into the terrace. Twisted blossoms laid crumbled, crushed under its feet. _

"_Alice!" The scream echoed throughout the dark abyss. My eyes came across a bright light like the fiery sun. It shone and burned away the darkness. Glimmering star-like specks suddenly began to collect around me, pasting themselves to my naked body. "What is this?!" Their luster slowly began to devour me. A small hand spread out towards me. My own hand reached desperately, but shriveled to black ash, and faded away. I shouted and pleaded but my body was consumed. "AAAAAllllllliiiiiiiccccce!" _

A thudding pain woke me, spreading through my head. I shot up out from under the covers, staring up at the pale white ceiling. I sighed in relief, and held the back of head, fingering a small bump.

"Ruin?" I turned, in surprise at who sat at my bedside. Gilbert smiled, humored by my confused expression. His warm golden eyes held their gaze against mine. "How are you feeling?"

"Can't complain." I nervously shrugged. "Wait…Wait a minute! Where…Where were YOU all this time?!" I demanded, pointing angrily at him. "You left me with that creepy clown and just left!" My glare intensely bore into his puzzled eyes. He brushed his messy dark brown hair out of his eyes as his eyes wandered away from me. He laughed softly.

"Ruin!" Footsteps tramped across the room, quickly approaching me. Oz suddenly flung himself onto the side of the bed, beside Gilbert, wide-eyed and worried. "Are you okay?! We just got back! Are you injured?!" I could not look away from his piercing green eyes.

"I'm fine." I assured with blunt honesty. I noticed Gilbert rising to his feet, about to turn his back on me. "Hey, you! Are you going to give me an answer?!" I snapped. I could feel the skin on my face heating up in rage.

"I….was away on business." Gilbert's expression changed to one that was serious but also unfavorably cold.

"Liar. That joker told me you were with this Vincent character. Who is he?"

"He's my brother." His sudden soft smile alarmed me, being that it seemed grieved. "Don't worry. He was only curious about you. I told him only that you would be staying with us for a while." He laid a hand on the top of my head, playfully. Gilbert's touch calmed me. I felt tranquil, at peace when I was with Gilbert despite only knowing him for a short time. He had found me and took me in off the streets. I still didn't understand why he would do that for me. He was a Nightray after all.

"Gilbert…I…"

"So Miss Ruin's awake? How exciting." Break jeered, alongside the bedroom door; a multi-colored lollipop pinched between his fingers.

"Oh great, you're back." I muttered, sensing the sarcasm in his voice.

"Now that's not very polite…is it Emily?" Break creepily titled his head against his frivolous doll, Emily, snickering in amusement.

"Shut up, you clown."

Lifting his lollipop against his lips, he concealed his wide grin. "I'm surprised. Even after your horrible ordeal in the Abyss, you still act like that." Break's words sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes, dyed bloody red, fixed on me, as he slipped the lollipop into his mouth. "Will you act like that when you see her?" I stared at Break, in shock, as he sat down at a large dark blue sofa, and rummaged through his coat to find the jar of candy.

"What?"

"Ruin, we got Alice back! Alice is going to be fine!" Oz exclaimed, smiling cheerfully beside me. My eyes shifted to his, as I clenched the covers tightly in my hands. Oz stiffened, petrified by my expression. "Ruin…?"

"It's no use seeing her at this time. She is still asleep. Heaven knows when she'll wake up." Break teetered the lollipop stick between his teeth, clearly deep in thought. "Pandora already has already caught wind of her return back to this world and both the Vessalius and Nightray dukedoms are already intervening…." His smile had disappeared, and his eyes wandered. "Enough with that scary expression already."

I relaxed, lowering my head, and letting loose the bundles of covers between my fingers. "I don't understand…why is this world so different than how I remembered it…everyone I knew is gone now…except…Alice…"

"Ruin…you knew… Alice?" Oz's voice quivered.

I remained silent.

"You said this world is different. I take it… you were not born in this time?" Break's somber voice broke through the quiet.


	9. Chapter 9

"You were cast from the Abyss." Break's cold words cut me deeply. His red eye fixed intently on me.

"Abyss?" Oz and Gilbert gasped, staring at me in disbelief and wonder. Their gazes made me uncomfortable and I wanted to leave and avoid them.

"Shut up! Leave me alone!" I shouted, angrily, frightening Oz. He froze, hurt and pain stricken. Though I felt my heart ache, I stared at him coldly.

I turned my gaze to Break. "You don't know anything, Break! Stay out of my business!"

Break laughed softly. "Actually, quite the contrary. It "is" our business...since we are involved." Break began to walk towards my bed, waving his staff in one hand and his lollipop stick in the other. He plunged his staff straight towards me, stopping it within inches of my face, smiling maniacally. "Do you think I am a fool?"

"Break!" Gilbert shouted.

Your hate has made you quite arrogant. Revolting…but these detestable feelings have kept you motivated in the timeless Abyss." Break lowered his staff, smashing it against the wooden floor. "Memories don't fade even after centuries…do they?"

"This is not a joke, Break!" Gilbert barked, slamming his hand down onto the small table beside him, gritting his teeth.

"Quite right, Raven." With that, Break turned his back to me, slowly striding towards the nearest window, frozen over with frost. Break stared through the glass. "Bare in mind that I will not stand idly by and let you interfere with Pandora's ideals. You have, of your own free will, joined Pandora."

"I did not agree!" I remarked, in alarm.

"The chocolate you accepted marks the contract. You have accepted Pandora's terms without question." Break answered, slyly, as he turned his head to grin mockingly.

I glared at him, fuming with anger but then stopped when I noticed that the soft white rain outside had stopped falling. The sky was still white, blending in with the hills of fluffy snow. I fixed my eyes in wonder at the marvelous remains of the winter storm.

Pushing the thick covers off me, I turned my feet, and slid off the bed. My feet became numb the instant I touched the wooden floor, feeling the pinch of the icy air within the room. My feet lightly pattered across the floor. Break continued to watch the glimmer of the frost along the windowsill as I stood motionlessly in his wake. "Break…" I stated, quietly. "We are all fools."

I did not bother to glance back towards Break or even to Oz and Gilbert still at my bedside. With the turn of a knob, I slunk out the bedroom door and into the shadowy lamp-lit hallway. Once the door closed behind me with a click, I leaned up against the smooth wood against my back and sighed in relief.

"Ruin, is it?" a soft male voice whispered. All of a sudden, a warm hand clapped over my mouth before I could say anything. My whole body tensed in fear. "Shhhhh." He hushed. The shadow gently released me from his grip and backed into the darkness so I couldn't see his face. "Come." He whispered as he turned from me, slowly walking down the hall, bidding me to follow.

The shadow led me through the winding hallway until he abruptly stopped at the entrance to a mysterious room at the end of the dim hall. He slyly placed an upright finger to his lips and smiled. The door uttered a strangled creak as the shadow lightly pushed it open and motioned me inside.

My eyes widened when I caught sight of the young girl I rescued from the Abyss. She was tucked snug under the covers of a king-size canopy bed shrouded in white drapes that trailed to the foot of the red-carpeted floor. The atmosphere was frigid and ominous.

"Do you remember?" the male voice whispered behind me.

I turned behind me to face the shadow, in fear of who or what it may be. I gasped in shock. Light blonde hair fell across his shoulders and down to his waist His attire consisted of a long dark cloak with a golden cross emblem on the right side. The man grinned with evil intent. _This man…I've seen him before. A hundred years ago…as a child. _I shivered as I gazed into his eyes; one was a bright gold while the other was a dark crimson red.

"You do remember. Oh, I'm so happy. Although I'm sad you don't remember my name…well...maybe that's a good thing." He smiled, like a naïve child. "Have you forgotten her too?" His eyes wandered over to the bed where the sleeping girl lay. I approached the side of the bed where she slept quietly, while the shadow followed. The girl was as peaceful as she was in the Abyss. Her breath, visible like mine, was as white as snow.

"Do you recognize her?" the young man murmured.

I stared at the young girl's face, leaning in closer, tracing every feature. "I…." my voice was feeble. _Alice. This was Alice. After centuries of waiting, I have her. I have them. My…. _I placed my clammy hands on the base of her tender neck, feeling the soft touch of her icy skin and the faint throbbing of her pulse. My fingers moved forward inch by inch until they were pressed against her trachea. Without warning, everything was shadowed. Frozen in a state of numb hibernation, my consciousness slumbered beneath the black lake of my dreams and my nightmares.

Suddenly, a voice thundered over my numb conscience and it grew louder. Although I couldn't make out words, the voice was surely Oz's. A speck of light was all I could catch in the darkness.

"Ruin! Wake up! Ruin!" Oz cried.

Words were becoming clearer and after attempting twice, I was able to slowly pry my weak eyes open to stare up into the petrified face of Oz. Gilbert was soon by his side.

"She's awake, Gil." Oz turned to Gil, grabbing his arm in a panic.

"Ruin! Ruin! What happened?!" Gilbert in a cold sweat stared down at my dazed expression. "Ruin!"

"Raven, there's no need to fuss. She is only drowsy." Break's voice grimly commented from a few feet away. I didn't have the strength to turn my head.

"Break, she was found collapsed on the ground unconscious and Alice is missing!" Gilbert states, angrily, climbing to his feet to confront Break.

My skull felt as if drumsticks were thumping against it as I groggily pushed myself to sit up. As my eyes wandered, I noticed the canopy bed empty; its sheets and covers were disheveled, and Alice was nowhere to be found.

* * *

><p>Oz sat depressed in the corner of the room; his arms wrapped around his legs while Gilbert stood puzzled, cozied up against the arm of the rose-colored couch. Across the table from me sat Break sipping a cup of sweet tea delicately handled in his right hand. Resting my chin upon the surface of the hard wooden table, I sulked, scowling with frustration.<p>

"Break, what do you plan to do?" Gilbert's faint voice broke the silence.

Break stared bitterly into his tea.

Break?" Gilbert repeated.

"That is the very same question you should be asking yourself, Raven. Miss Alice is gone and our Ruin was found sound asleep. You should know who the culprit is." Break took another sip of his tea.

"Vincent's chain is Dormouse." Gilbert blurted, seething with anger.

I raised my head. "Vincent?"


	10. Chapter 10

"What is he trying to accomplish now?" Gilbert covered his face with his right hand.

"Break, why would Vincent take Alice?" Oz questioned.

"That sewer rat could be aiding the Baskervilles." Break revealed with a bitter revulsion in his voice. Break was drastically unlike his usual jolly self. He was unmistakably unnerved.

"The Baskervilles?" Gilbert lifted his head; his eyes widened.

"They are closing in…" Break confessed, almost in a whisper. "What if they try to snatch another?" I froze.

"What are you saying?" I asked, coldly, fiercely gripping the rim of the table. The teacups and glass plates in front of me clattered. Break had lifted his cup as if in preparation. "Are you saying that these Baskervilles will come after me?"

"Perhaps." Break inexpressively sipped his tea.

"Who are the Baskervilles?"

"The Baskervilles are the followers of the one called Glen Baskerville." Gilbert commented. His amber eyes surveyed my fixed stare. "The Baskervilles want power. They crave power as does their leader."

"Things are not always how they seem, Raven." Break remarked.

"What do they plan to do with Alice?" Oz demanded.

"That I do not know." Break set his chin upon the edge of the table, sighing with utter boredom.

"You're lying."

Break eyed me. "Lying?"

"You know a lot more than what you are saying." I clenched my fists.

"Likewise." Break raised an eyebrow as he sipped his tea. "Tell me. What do you care?

"What?"

Why do you base your decisions on what I know or do not know?

"I…."

You should already know your next step already." Break's cold eyes surprised me.

I was caught off guard. I didn't know what to say to him. My mind could not devise a sly comeback to his arrogant words. That thought made me all the more pissed. All I could do was glare at him. Annoyed, he looked away.

Gilbert and Oz, no doubt could sense the tension between us and they ogled at the both of us with blank expressions.

Unexpectedly, there was a low grumbling. Everyone perked up in confusion. It took me a moment to realize it was my stomach. Suddenly, I realized I hadn't eaten anything in days since I had come to find Break and the others, other than the "contract" chocolate Break had given me.

I was sickly from hunger, and as I glanced up at the contents of the table, one dish caught my eye.

"Mince pie?"

Gilbert, Oz, and Break turned their gazes at my sudden utterance of the words.

Mince pies, piled on top of each other, sat on a large plate in the center. Grabbing hold of two mince pies fresh from the oven, I munched on them both. Once I took a bite out one, I took a chunk out of the other. The sweet flavor of fruit, spice, and cinnamon filled my mouth. As I smiled in happiness, Gilbert and Oz watched, shocked. Break appeared star-struck.

I ate two more, and again two more. I took a light sip of cocoa; still hot, located beside the laced angel cake and slid the plate of mince pies away from me.

"I'm so happy you liked it, Ruin." A delicate hand patted my shoulder, causing me to jump. I turned my gaze straight into the soft pink eyes of Miss Sharon. She smiled in a cute manner. Her light peach face displayed a rosy tint. Fazed, I stared downward.

"Lady Sharon created all of the delicious recipes before you. Her specialty is cakes but she has been practicing baking pies as well." Break smiled, proudly, glancing at Sharon who smiled back in confidence. Break's sudden mood alteration bemused all of us.

"It was very good, Miss Sharon." I said, shyly. I could feel my skin prickling.

Sharon blushed happily. "Thank you."

Break snickered, amusedly. My face flushed red.

"What is up with your mood swings?" I hollered.

"Break, what did you do? Ruin seems to be quite angry with you." Sharon lightly scolded with a small smile.

"It seems." Break sipped his tea, grinning.

I glared begrudgingly then turned sharply, nearly running into Sharon.

"Pardon me." She gasped embarrassedly then backed quietly away. "Forgive me."

I shyly moved out of her way, flushed with embarrassment.

_Forgive me? Those words…._

"Are you okay…Ruin?" Sharon murmured sadly from behind.

"Never better." I muttered. My tone was obviously indifferent. This did not comfort her. I didn't say another word to her for fear of making it worse.

"Uncute, wouldn't you say? Raven? Oz?" Break sighed. I faced Break.

"Shut up, Break. I don't need your little input…...by the way, we share the same first step."

"The first step?"

"To find Alice, of course."

"There is no need."

"What?"

"I have enrolled you into an academy, the third top prestigious school in the world." Break gave a little smile, although it was somewhat more irritating in this context.

"What for?!" I raged.

"Don't worry we all will accompany you. You will need to pack and we'll be off before noon."

"I don't understand!" I wailed, pitifully.

"Of course you don't." He beamed.

* * *

><p>The clopping of the hooves outside set my mind at ease as I thought about what Break said before. <em>You should already know your next step already. <em>I bit my lip in agitation. Resting my hand under my cheek, I glanced beside me where Oz rested his head sleepily.

"Overly carefree, don't you think?" Break whispered from his seat across from me, shadowed amiss the rays of the sunlight.

"What do you mean?" I was perplexed. "What exactly is Oz?"

"He is a taboo….Even he is unaware of this….." Break's eyes shifted out the window, to the passing trees. "But the day he discovers who, or should I say "what" he really is, he will not be so carefree anymore."

I did not say anymore.

Light danced off the white drops of snow among the leaves of the frostbitten trees. Snow covered the ground outside, but the main road was clear of any snow and the steadfast carriage, lent to us by Lady Sharon, easily passed through. The hazy sun beamed behind the fading but spreading grey clouds.

Suddenly, the bright morning light faded from inside the carriage and the carriage slowed to a steady pace.

"We are here." Break uttered.

"Oz." I gently whispered, as I lightly pressed his shoulder. A sudden abrupt stop caused a sharp jolt to run through the carriage. Spooked, Oz sprang up from his seat; his emerald eyes widening in confusion.

The door opened, and the cold air struck us, numbing my fingers almost instantly. I had always hated the cold, even before the time I had no home. Oz rubbed his hands together. Break seemed unbothered by the frigid air.

Before us, was Lutwidge Academy, an extremely massive building, larger than an ordinary mansion constructed of large white stone. A wide stone staircase led the way to the entrance which was open, inviting us inside before we even got close. We continued our walk down the center pathway where thick white pillars lined each side.

I spotted a couple of students; a boy and a girl, carrying a few books in their hands, conversing with each other. The girl suddenly smiled brightly. _That expression… _Her golden locks became more beautiful in the wake of the sunrays. Suddenly, I noticed something peculiar. _That girl…she reminds me of someone. _I eyed Oz with interest.

"Oz….do you have a sister?"

Oz turned, and stared at me with curiosity. Though, he had become paler than usual. "Why do you ask?" He answered.

"I was just wondering if you have a sister." _Could that girl…? It could be nothing. _

"Yes, I have a sister. She's younger than me but we haven't seen each other for a while. I am actually forbidden by my family to see her." Oz said with a smile, although I knew he was putting up a front.

Break fixed his eyes on me; a blank expression sketched his face.

I didn't know how to reply to Oz so I kept silent. Oz noticed this and took a step towards me. He smiled. "You don't have to say anything, Ruin. I'm okay."

I nodded.

"Hey, you lot!" A voice barked from behind us. We all turned our heads.

"What are you doing here on campus? I can see you don't have uniforms. Explain." A young man with his hands in his pockets walked towards us; irritated and ready to blow a fuse.

"Oh. Elliot." Oz walked past me over to the young man to greet him.

"Oh, it's you." Without a moment's hesitation, Elliot knocked Oz over the head with his arm. Oz fell to the ground before him. "And Break too."

My eyes fixed on Elliot, as he passed Oz by and trudged over to Break and I.

"Who is this, Break?" Elliot's irritated expression did not clear up. He simply looked at me, then at Break, then back at me without a word.

"We have come to have a word with the headmaster about enrolling her here into Lutwidge." Break grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Oh. The headmaster…" Astonished, Elliot straightened up.

"Having just witnessed the unsightly treatment to newcomers here...I suppose we should impose elsewhere." Break whispered in my ear with an eerie grin.

Elliot must have heard.

"No! Wait!" He called.

Break and I stared at him.

"I apologize. I'll take you to see the headmaster." Elliot grumbled, resting a hand on his hip. Elliot had tried to remain as composed as he could but his pleading got the better of him.

"Well, okay." Break smiled, releasing my shoulder. "Shall we go?"

"That's all it took?" Elliot bitterly mumbled to himself.

Break faced me. "Oh, um, Ruin, could you wait here?" He smiled.

"How long are you going to be?" I asked, worrisome of his timing.

"Don't know." He professed quickly, waved and followed Elliot out of the hall.

"That cheeky git ….I'll be here all day." I folded my arms.

Suddenly, a sound swept through the hall. Beautiful it was, but it was also faint.

The unique melody carried out, ringing like little sleigh bells against a soft breeze. The music caused my heart to ache, as I felt the sorrow in each note that resonated throughout my being. The captivating song whisked my feet down the hall after it in an attempt to catch it.

As quick as it came, it was gone. The music had left me.

Out of breath, after turning the corner of the hall, I came across an empty room where a large mahogany grand piano sat in the center. The windows were wide open, and the icy breeze outside brushed against the curtains. I leaned against the frame of the door, finding myself trapped in a forlorn trance.


	11. Chapter 11

I sighed, despondently shifting my eyes from the grand piano to the open window. The glowing full moon shone brightly against the pitch of the sky. Not a single star flickered around the lone moon.

_I should return and wait for Break… _I thought to myself as I stepped out into the hallway.

"Um... are you a new student?" a small voice spoke. I stumbled forward, clumsily. My heart nearly shot out of my chest in panic. As I caught my footing, I glanced behind my shoulder. To my surprise, the girl with the golden hair from before stood in front of me, clutching a few books in her hands.

"Ah…yes…" I answered. In turning to face her, I gave her a slight smile.

Suddenly, she peered past me and then swerved to look behind her. _"_Where is your chaperone? Do you have one? Someone should be guiding you around school." She asked, curiously.

I didn't have a answer.

"Oh, are you lost? I can help you." The girl asked, kindly. "I overheard we were having a new student. As a prefect, I would be happy to give you a tour of the school."

"Sure…" I gave a warm smile. _Wait, what am I saying? And why did I just smile...? Idiot…_

"Okay then. Follow me." Shuffling the books in her hands, the girl turned and continued walking. I followed.

_This girl…is this Oz's sister? I pondered. _

"If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" I asked, curious.

She stopped so suddenly that I had to keep from running into her.

"Ada Vessalius. I don't like formalities so you can just call me Ada, okay?"

_Vessalius…. so she is Oz's sister…_

"What is your name?" Ada asked in a soft voice.

"…Ruin."

"A peculiar name…" Ada commented.

"It is the last thing I was called…I don't remember anything of my true name…." I confessed.

"But…are ruins not also beautiful to look at…." Ada smiled, warmly.

"Hey you!" the loud voice shouted through the hallway. It was familiar, almost too familiar, had I already heard it not too long ago. Ada and I looked to the end of the hall to find a young man in a school uniform trudging through the hallway with an irritated expression on his face.

"Elliot… I was just showing Ruin the school…." Ada called in a modest tone.

He ignored her.

"The headmaster wants to see you...Ruin, was it?" Elliot asserted in an aggressive tone. He then suddenly shifted his eyes and glared at Ada. Ada looked away, timidly.

"Why are you glaring at her?" I commented, biting back my temper. "Brute."

"What did you say?" Elliot barked.

"Stop glaring at her…." My blue eyes sharpened as they met his.

"Just shut up and come along." Elliot grumbled, and started to leave us. He then gave me an unpleasant dirty look.

I smiled at Ada. "I should follow him…. You were so kind to me. Thank you Ada…"

"Will you hurry up?" Elliot complained, as I crossed the corridors and caught up to him. He was leaning up against the wall, crossing his arms, bitterly. It was then that I recalled his appearance and not just his temper. His hair was short and messy, beige in color. It fell over his light blue eyes and he also wore black studs in his ears.

"Stop badgering me. You are extremely rude, you know. Hurting Oz, bossing me around, and ignoring Ada. No one would want to be around anyone who behaves as badly as you do. You're worse than a spoiled child." I muttered; my eyes fixed on his.

His glare suddenly disappeared and he turned his back to me. "Let's go." His voice was calm.

_He…calmed down? _I followed slowly behind him, through large double doors.

I sighed when my eyes met an unfortunate sight.

"My dear Ruin! So sorry I was so long…. I came back for you…but you were nowhere to be found!" Break chimed, lying upon a pearl-white decorative sofa; his legs crossed. He wagged a candy cane back and forth in his hand.

"It's a lie. He's been here the whole time. He hasn't left." An unfamiliar monotone voice commented from across the room.

"Oh, Reim, must you deepen the hole I'm in." Break laughed carelessly, eyeing me.

"Why you..." My eyes pierced his. "Would you have had me wait for you all day?!" I snapped.

"Depends on how long you can wait…. but apparently not very long since Reim had to come find you…. very impatient indeed, Miss Ruin." Break taunted, crunching the candy cane in his mouth.

_I am going to kill him. _I thought, as I stared icily at Break.

"Break, you shouldn't have made her wait at all." The voice scolded.

A young man with very short light brown hair and glasses shot up from a small desk piled high with dusty books and stray papers. The moment he stood up, papers scattered around him. He wore a long black robe and a brooding expression. His gaze switched from Break to me. He didn't utter a word but scoured me with his eyes. Uncomfortable, I just stared downward until his eyes veered on Break again. Then, he unexpectedly departed.

"What was that about?" I questioned; facing Break and crossing my arms.

"It appears Reim is interested in you. Though, it's hard to know what he is thinking." Break remarked, sniggering with glee.

I felt a feeble drift of wind behind me, weaving around to notice Elliot shut the door behind him with solemn face.

"So, Miss Ruin, how do you like school?"


	12. Chapter 12

"Achoo!" I sneezed, my eyes about to pop out of my head. I flipped furiously through the dusty thick book. A pentagram was etched on the cover.

"Ow, ow, it still hurts." Oz laid a hand on his head, a pained expression on his face. He sat cross-legged, upon a soft crimson couch by the window. Tears welled up in his emerald eyes.

"You're finally awake…" My eyes swiveled towards Oz for a moment. "That person, Elliot, must have hit you pretty hard for you to pass out like that." My attention returned to the book. "Break told me you had disappeared when he returned for you. Where did you go?" I asked curiously, continuing to turn pages.

"I… guess I must have wandered around in a daze." Oz shrugged, still massaging the bump on the top of his head. "Next thing I knew I was in here… so I fell asleep?"

"A daze, you say." I whispered.

"Huh?" Oz stared, bemused.

When I slammed the book closed, a small cloud of dust exploded, and I sneezed again. My blue eyes became itchy.

Once I slid the book back into the self with the other books, I rubbed my eyes with the sleeve of my coat. _Why are these books so dusty? Don't they have a maid to clean or something? _Scanning the other books, I used the tip of my finger to gently pull each out halfway, in order to survey the cover.

"You have an interest in the occult too?" A voice from behind startled me. I quickly turned to meet the voice but my finger slipped, causing many books to fall from the shelf. Amazingly, I managed to catch the falling books with open hands. With slight awkwardness, I nudged the books back in their slots. Ada Vessalius smiled, warmly. I graciously returned the favor.

…_Idiot._

* * *

><p><span><strong><em>Half an Hour Ago<em>**

"I just can't wait to see you in a school uniform, Ruin!" Break chimed, clapping and smiling happily in his chair.

"What, I have to wear a school uniform?" I stared at Break, dumbstruck, and knitted my brows.

Suddenly, a woman barged into the room. Her foot came first, shoving the door out of the way. Break and I watched, flabbergasted by her strength.

Long brown hair flowed freely behind her. Her eyes were scary, and auburn in color. Her arms tightly carried a school uniform consisting of a black blouse, white coat, black ribbon, and a short white skirt.

Once the monstrous but petite woman caught her breath, her dark eyes became soft, and she looked upon me with warmth.

"Miss Ruin, please excuse my intrusion. My name is Agatha Collins. I am here to fit you in your school uniform." Her voice was firm but sweet. She had a smile that was similar to Break's. It was cheerful but also mischievous.

I eyed her dress at once. It was unusual; the colors were outrageous. It was orange, with black hemming around the arms, and bottom, which spread out like an umbrella. The waist was so tight that her bulging breasts were pushed upward, and were more noticeable.

Another noticeable thing about her dress was that it was way too long. I was surprised she hadn't stumbled over it when she barged into the room. "Come now, we mustn't wait. You will start your classes tomorrow. We must get you fitted at once!" She held out the uniform.

"I don't think—"I began, backing away from the woman, but Ms. Collins cut me off.

"I just know you will look so adorable in this!" She grabbed hold of my arm.

All of a sudden, Agatha gave a shrill but small shriek. A long cane had shot out between us. My heart almost stopped.

Break stood beside me, holding his cane out, staring at the woman. His eyes were sharp like slits. His expression then turned friendly. "My apologies. Ruin is such a shy girl. She would like to dress… unaccompanied." He grinned with charm.

Agatha Collins blushed, red in the face. She released my arm and stumbled backwards, clutching the uniform in her hands. Break held out his arms to receive the uniform. A flustered Ms. Collins gave it to him, but then turned and hurried quickly out the door whence she came.

I stared at Break, curiously. "What was that about?"

"Did you want to dress alone…or was I mistaken?" Break asked. His red eyes glimmered, smugly. He handed me the uniform.

My face flushed deep red. "No—you weren't mistaken."

"Well, that's good." Break turned, sliding past me to return to his couch. He yawned and threw himself onto the couch. His staid eyes met mine then slid away. "I'll talk to the headmaster. Go do as you like."

I nodded, laying out the uniform upon the couch's arm. Without a glance towards Break, I slipped out the door.

* * *

><p>"Brother!" Ada cried weakly, her face panicked, once she caught eye of her brother rubbing his scalp. She rushed past me to her brother's side, kneeling in front of him. A quiet hush was heard over the library.<p>

"Don't worry, Ada. It's just a bump. I'm alright." He smiled, cheerfully, as if the pain disappeared suddenly. His green eyes met hers. "It's nice to be able to see you, Ada."

Ada grabbed her brother's jacket, pressing her face to his chest. "I missed you, brother." A tear streaked down her cheek.

Oz gently ran a hand through Ada's long blonde hair, letting the strands slide through his fingers. I turned my gaze from the two siblings and focused on the books once again, tracing my fingers along the covers.

"Oh, Ada…" He suddenly lifted her face to him. "This is—"

"Ruin." Ada's soft voice cut her brother off. I widened my eyes, looking away in embarrassment.

"You've met?" Oz glanced at me, puzzled.

"I offered to give Ruin a tour of the school." Ada told her brother, quietly, glancing in my direction.

"Soooo, you were lost too." Oz eyed me, with devilish child-like grin.

"I wasn't lost!" I explained, attempting to bite back my temper. The hush sounded yet again, this time shrill.

"Sure." Oz shifted his gaze from me to Ada who still watched me with her large green eyes. "Isn't she cute?" He patted Ada's head.

"I don't know why I bother with you." I muttered, circling round the corner into the next hallway of books.

"Wait! Ruin!" Oz shouted.

"Quiet!" A woman, the librarian, scolded from her mahogany desk. She had risen from her desk and now stared menacingly at Oz. Oz shrugged and smiled.

_That Oz!…making a fool out of me…! _I grit my teeth. At once, I stopped. Something caught my eye. The words, **ABYSS, **were written in silver on the cover of a black book. My curiosity was sparked and I reached for it. With alarming speed, a hand grabbed my wrist. Although it was sudden, his grasp was dainty.

"So, you are the Ruin that Break keeps speaking of? …Quite astonishing." The delicate hand belonged to a man; his face inches from mine. A pair of violet eyes glimmered. His long white hair, wrapped in a braid then a ponytail, trailed down his back. A clump of bangs fell over the right side of his face. A smile spread over his soft face.

"Wha...what are…?" I fussed, wide-eyed.

He leaned in close. His warm breath against my skin sent a shiver down my back. "Do not save Alice." His whisper sounded like a warning. Revealing a small knife beneath his sleeve, he pointed it to my throat. "Do not interfere." Still smiling, he pulled back, tossing his cloak as he left the aisle.

"Wasn't that the headmaster, Ada?" Oz questioned. I swirled around to see Oz and Ada peek from the end of the aisle. _Had they been watching this whole time? _

"Ruin, the headmaster seems to like you."A light pink colored Ada's cheeks. "What did he say to you?" Her eyes grew with interest.

Turning my back to them, I said, "Nothing" but my tone was shaky. Fear was obvious in my voice.

"My apologies… I didn't mean to pry or make you uncomfortable." Ada nervously concealed her lips with the edge of her fingers. Her admirable green eyes lowered.

"Don't worry about it."

"What's wrong, Ruin?" Oz asked. Worry strained his voice. He stepped towards me, before Ada.

"Leave me alone, Oz." My tone was harsh. I would have regretted it but my frustration towards him was far too great to overcome. After all, he was Alice's property.

Those emotions were hard to suppress. I refused to meet his gaze, and just had to imagine the expression he was making. Ada— I'm sure she was confused but she was not involved in those matters.

"Just leave me be for now." I mouthed softly, strutting past Ada and Oz, without a glance; the book titled** ABYSS** hidden under my right arm.


	13. Chapter 13

Without looking behind me, I quickly made my way down the hall—the book titled **ABYSS** in my hand. My head was spinning. _That was the headmaster? What was_— He ___ mentioned Alice—no—he said to not interfere…does the headmaster have something to do with Alice's kidnapping?_

"Ruin!" A voice panted from behind me.

"Oz!" He was out of breath, close to collapsing, but he forced words to come out anyway.

"What's wrong?" He stared at me with eyes hungry for answers. "What did the headmaster say to you?"

_Guess they didn't see… "_He said nothing. Oz, don't worry. Please go back to Ada. You haven't seen her in a while, right?"

"What is that book you have, Ruin?" Oz stared at the book in my hands. He knitted his eyebrows as if he was frustrated.

"Oz?"

Suddenly Oz turned without a word, and walked away.

"Oz." _Oz seems different…_

I tightened my grip on the book. Scanning each door on both sides of the corridor, I spotted my room. A bright red lollipop wrapped in a white ribbon was tied around the door handle. Break had mentioned that the "room would be sweet". _Idiot. _After I twisted the handle, there was a small squeak like a mouse as the door opened. I sighed heavily, but then gasped when my eyes caught sight of the room.

There was a medium-sized bed, with ornamental dark wooden frames, and the covers were cream-colored. A beautifully carved dresser was to the right of the bed, with a large circular mirror above it. The curtains of the window were drawn back to reveal the bright white sky outside.

Closing the door behind me, I made my way over to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the snow falling from the trees. The winter sky was beautiful, swirling silver and pure white, akin to the snow upon the ground. The trees shook off the piles of snow, as the morning breeze began to show. Droplets of snow water fell like tears.

"Winter is so dull." I whispered, shifting my gaze to the inhabitants in the snow below the trees.

A young girl and boy were playing in the snow; bright smiles illuminated their faces. Staring with curiosity, I wondered if they were dating or if they were just friends. Suddenly, the girl hit the boy square in the jaw with a snowball.

I watched with cruel interest, assuming he would be mad, but the boy just rolled a ball of snow with his hands and swung it at his attacker. It hit the girl in the chest but she just laughed. Bitterly, I turned away from the window. Almost forgetting the book in my hands, I pondered about the contents. _The Abyss…_

Sitting upon the bed, I opened and flipped through the book, my mind took in each word and symbol, acquiring new knowledge about this place I had been but knew nothing about. _The Abyss…was paradise? A sacrifice…Child of Omen…Abyss turned to chaos? Droplets of Light? Messengers of the Abyss…Baskerville? _ "Those are the people who want Alice!" I grit my teeth. "But it doesn't explain why they want her!"

Tracing through the pages, I read more. _Contractors? Incuse? Sharon mentioned that… _Puzzled, I loosened the cuff of my coat and shirt, examining my milky skin for an "incuse". I found no mark. "Contractors have control of Chains…that explains Break, Miss Sharon, and Gilbert."The book was rather thick but no matter what I read, the book just didn't seem to have all the information I wanted.

I dropped the book, watching it bounce off the bed, and hit the floor with a thump. Lying myself out across the covers, I brushed my dark bangs to the side with two fingers.

Letting out another sigh, I closed my eyes to catch a bit of rest. _She had told me about the Abyss before...such a scary place it was…but she was…unafraid._ I pushed myself up, staring at the covers. _  
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My gaze then switched to my right hand. _AAAAAAlllllliiiiccccce!_

"But still!" My eyes widened with anger as I shoved myself off the bed and walked to the entrance, turned the doorknob in frustration and pressed through the door.

Black clothing—a jacket—the two arms grabbed me by the shoulders. My heart almost stopped in alarm. "Ruin." The voice was familiar.

"Gilbert!" Looking up into his golden eyes, I felt a sense of peace when Gilbert was near. His personality was placid and friendly even if he rarely smiled. My frustration was suddenly gone. Even though he had found me, I felt as if I knew him before. He released me, and took a step back.

"How are you adjusting to life at the academy?" His face was blank but he laid a hand on my head. His dark hair was matted and loose strands fell over his eyes.

"The welcome was rude but I guess there are some nice people here." I huffed, recalling my first impression of Elliot then thought of Ada's kindness.

"That's good." He cracked a smile but it disappeared once I blinked. "I see you aren't in your uniform yet."

"Yeah, this crazy woman was going to have me fitted but Break stopped her. Break's going to bring the matter up with the headmaster. I hate skirts." I grumbled with distaste. _Speaking of the headmaster…should I tell Gilbert?_

"Oh." Gilbert stared at me, confused.

"Anyway, I have to find Break." I started forward. _I don't know if I want to involve him right now. Break is the best—but also the worst—person to talk to about this. _

_Wait. _"Gilbert, where were you?" I eyed Gilbert.

He nodded.

"Alice?"

"He won't discuss her location with me. It's just games with Vince." Gilbert gritted his teeth and looked away. But suddenly he fixed his eyes ahead. They widened. "Elliot?"

I circled my head, coming face to face with Elliot who stood a few feet away. But Elliot was not looking at me but at Gilbert.

"What are you doing here?" Elliot asked, confused; his eyebrows twitched.

"Visiting." Gilbert admitted, with a low instinct voice.

"When Break and that girl arrived, I was wondering why you weren't with Break." Elliot muttered, glaring at Gilbert. "Aren't you his servant?"

"Is that what you think, Elliot?"

Elliot was silent but his expression did not soften. His eyes then darted to me. "Break wants to see you, Miss Ruin."

I nodded. Then Elliot turned his back—to my surprise, he grinned, although it was for just a second—and I followed him. Gilbert trailed behind me.

As we walked, I stared mostly at Elliot's back, trying to figure him out. _It's obvious he doesn't like me…why did he address me so formally? And more importantly, why did he grin? Is he making fun of me? _My glare was so strong, it was shocking I didn't burn a hole through his back, or more realistically, cause him to turn around and confront me. Before I knew it, we had stopped in front of a reddish mahogany door, a plaque read **STUDY ROOM**.

Elliot opened the door, and stood to the side to allow Gilbert and I to enter first. Once we were inside the study, Elliot sharply shut the door behind us then chuckled.

"So easy." A childish voice shouted, overjoyed and proud with herself.

Gilbert and I stared, in a stupor, at the small figure perched on the top of a cluttered bookshelf. The voice sounded female. From head to toe, a dark red cloak covered her, the hood hiding her face. Only a large unpleasant grin was seen, under her hood.

"Who are you?" Gilbert demanded, drawing his black pistol.

"I am Zwei."

"Zwei?" Gilbert lowered his gun. "Echo?"

Suddenly, Zwei became infuriated. "I AM THE ORIGINAL! NOT THE ECHO!" She lunged at Gilbert with a knife. "I AM NOISE!"

A loud bang erupted as a shot was fired. Zwei fell to the floor with a thud, clutching her arm, stained with blood. Her knife landed a few feet away.

Gilbert pointed his gun at her head. His finger trembled as he hesitated to the pull the trigger again.

"Gilbert!" I warned as Elliot pressed a black blade to Gilbert's throat.

"Elliot…" Gilbert's golden eyes scanned Elliot's crazed blue eyes. "You're not Elliot, are you?"

"Really… Raven couldn't detect Duldum. You're really naïve." Zwei's hood had fallen back, revealing the face of a young girl with white hair, braided on the right side of her head, decorated with a cylinder ornament. "Duldum, now!" Zwei shouted.

Elliot slid his sword out from under Gilbert's neck, and struck him with the hilt of the sword. Gilbert fell to his knees. Zwei got to her feet and approached me.

"So you're Ruin?" Zwei traced her fingers over my cheek, staring into my eyes. She played with my hair, twisting her fingers in the dark locks.

"What do you want?" I asked, unafraid of this demented girl and her sadistic means.

"I want you. Well," Zwei smiled manically, "I want to kill you." As I stared into her dark eyes, I knew she meant it. "But first, I'll start with the raven." She shuffled over towards Raven, with a bored expression on her face, leaning over to meet him face-to-face. "Duldum."

Elliot placed the tip of his sword at the base of Gilbert neck, grinning madly. "Off with his head!" Zwei shrieked. Her face lit up with happiness.

"Stop! I screamed at Elliot. "Don't do it!"

Elliot's hands trembled. All of a sudden, the craziness in Eliot's eyes faded. He took a few steps back and dropped his sword, looking dumbstruck. He noticed Gilbert on his knees in front of him and the sword he had just dropped. "Gilbert." Tears streaked down his cheeks.

"You cut Duldrum's strings!" Zwei appeared shocked. Then her expression turned furious as she reached for the knife and came at me.

Someone wearing a dark blue coat jumped in front of me, blocking Zwei's attack. I didn't see his face but Zwei's face expressed absolute terror.

"Run away, little Baskerville." whispered Break with a cold slyness.

I backed away modestly, slamming my back against the wall behind me.

Break whipped around. I gasped when I noticed the hollow hole where his left eye should have been. His expression was scary; his right eye fell on me for only a second but he quickly walked away to attend Gilbert, who was now sitting up, in a daze. Elliot was standing alongside the wall, motionless.

"Raven, can you see me?" Break asked, leaning in front of Gilbert. Gilbert didn't say anything. "Raven." Break's tone became harsh.

Gilbert lifted his head, then nodded.

"Good. It would be unfortunate if my other eye was gone too." Break got to his feet and moved towards Elliot.

"Next time, don't let your emotions get the better of you." Break closed the door behind him as he left.

I stared at Gilbert and Elliot then at the door. Without another thought, I chased after Break, breaking through the door.

"Break!" I called ahead.

Break kept walking, his blue cloak flowing behind him, his cane wavering about in his hand.

"Break, did you plan this?" I questioned, burning with rage.

"Are you that untrustworthy of me?" Break's voice was unkind.

"You deliberately didn't step in until the very end. Gilbert was going to be killed but—!"

"You saved him, didn't you?" Break turned his face a little. All I could see on his face was a scowl.

"Why did you—?"

"Because I was interested," Break stated dryly, "I was interested in what you would do in that situation. There will be plenty more in the future."

"What—" I started but I held my tongue.

"I knew you were keeping secrets. That ability…the ability to repel a chain's will on a person…I can only assume this happened after you were cast into the Abyss…is that right?"

"No, I've had it long before that. I have only used it once before." I faced the ground. "At one time, Alice told me it was a gift…" There was a long moment of silence.

"It will be useful."

"That girl…was a Baskerville! Why did you not capture her? She could have been useful!"

"Did you think we did not sense something strange about you the moment you came to us?"

My eyes burned at him.

"And Raven…why would he have taken you in otherwise? There are thousands of orphans abandoned on the streets everyday…and yet he saved just you. Why is that?

"What are you saying?"

"It is because he remembered you…centuries ago…"

Even from far away, I saw his gaze. His crimson eye did not blink. It trapped me. My consciousness was swirling in a dark pool of blood and his words made no sense. "A faint memory...of you...inside him took hold of his conscience and compelled him to save you."


	14. Chapter 14

_A faint memory…of you…inside him took hold of his conscience and compelled him to save you…_

I stared down at Gilbert's face. Peaceful as it was, his expression changed slightly ever minute or so. Oz and Ada, both next to me, couldn't keep their eyes off of him either. We knew he was in pain but we couldn't do anything.

"I would say that he was lucky but his pain says different. He's suffered severe head trauma." With care, the young nurse positioned an ice pack under Gilbert's resting head.

She turned to us with a smile. Her warm blue eyes gazed down at us behind her thin-rimmed circular glasses. Lifting one finger, she pressed it against her lips. "Rest is the best thing he needs right now. I have to leave momentarily. Make sure you keep that ice pack under his head."

I glanced over to the window. Elliot stood against the window's frame, gazing worriedly at his brother. Once he noticed my gaze, he swiftly turned his head, focusing his attention outside.

"Well, I'm off." The nurse waved. All our eyes watched her go; her short dark chestnut hair, swished behind her as she strut out the door.

Once her footsteps had grown faint, all our eyes fell on Gilbert again. Even Elliot shifted his gaze to continue watching his brother.

_Break was a little hard on him…as well as everyone else. I almost feel... a little sorry for Elliot... I mean he wasn't... in control of his own body…_

Gilbert winced. _  
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Oz gave Elliot a dirty look. "You're horrible. How did you manage to hit Gilbert that hard?"

Elliot's eyes turned into Oz like daggers.

"Oz, stop." I grabbed Oz's arm. "Come now, don't fight." I watched Elliot. His eyes said he meant to kill, but he didn't move or say a word.

_Oz and Ada knew nothing of the intruder or the Chain. They had been lied to…by Break. Break had left out the part about the Chain and intruder entirely and put all the blame on Elliot. Everyone had thought that Elliot, in a temper, had injured Gilbert. The story was unclear; Break had made sure of that. But no one had asked anything more. Elliot was taking the full heat. _

"Why did you hit him? Elliot! Give me an answer!" Oz shouted; his eyes blazing with anger. I was surprised at Oz. Normally he was either worried or just a happy-go-lucky annoyance. But now, he was seriously enraged with Elliot. Luckily, Oz wasn't very physically strong so I was able to hold him back with just one arm.

"Oz– let him be. Sit down. What would Gilbert think if he saw you acting like this?" As I tried to reason with Oz, I tightened my grip on his arm. Oz did not look at me, but continued to glare in disgust at Elliot.

"Elliot…" Ada called in her small voice.

"I don't want to hear it!" Elliot snapped, ripping away from the window, and tearing out the door.

The room was silent.

"It's strange. Why would he hurt Gil on purpose...He's in so much pain right now." Ada whispered.

I looked over to Ada, who stared at the door, sadness etched in her face.

"Poor Elliot."

"I'm not buying it. He hurt me on the first day of school. I passed out!" Oz raised his voice. "I forgave him for that…but I won't forgive him for hurting Gil." Oz tightened his fist. Both Ada and I became tense, expecting Oz to fly out the door after Elliot. But he didn't. Extremely aggravated, Oz faced the door, and turned the knob. "Sorry…Ada…Ruin." The door closed with a small click.

As I sprung to my feet, a soft pull on my sleeve halted me in my tracks. "Ada?"

She looked down shyly. "I think…they should be left alone."

"What?" I stared at her, confused.

"We aren't really involved… are we? I don't think…Oz will fight Elliot…or even the other way around right now…" Her dazed eyes wavered over to Gilbert's sleeping face. "But...it's hard to imagine Elliot would do something like this…to Gilbert."

_Even I would think so…so dim Break. _

"I know he's not a bad person. He has a temper…but…I've seen him help the other students. He's quite nice…

"Ada." I watched her, fascinated by her resolve.

"I don't mind… if Elliot hates me…truth is I really admire him." Ada whispered.

"Admire?" I was surprised. _But he talks to her so rudely…_

"It's a little silly, isn't it?" She tipped her head, blushing.

"Sure is."

"Huh?" She stared at me in confusion.

"You admire him yet he treats you so badly…" She stared at my puzzled expression.

"Yeah." Ada looked away.

"Do you…love him?"

"Huh?" Ada turned back to me, wide-eyed.

"Just curious."

Ada just smiled. "No, I love someone else."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Her face was tinted pink but she wore her smile proudly. I hadn't been this comfortable with a girl since Alice. I felt a little normal. I felt grateful to Ada for this just as I felt grateful to Gilbert who saved me.

"So this person you love…what's he like?"

"He's…very charming." Her blush grew redder.

_Charming…?_

"Do you like anyone, Ruin?"

I stared down at Gilbert's face then up again at Ada.

"Is it a secret?" She smiled, coyly. "It's all right. You don't have to tell."

"…Yes."

"So, Ruin, I heard you are helping Oz find Alice." Ada clasped her fingers together on her lap. Her gaping eyes, gilded gold, traced me, beaming with curiosity.

"Oz told you?"

"Yes, he told me. He told me Break bribed you with chocolate." She looked a little amused as she gracefully lifted a hand to her mouth. "Do you really like chocolate that much?" Even though she had a pure kindness in her voice, I was peeved.

"What of it?" I tucked my hand under my cheek, resting my head upon my arm.

"It's cute, Ruin." Ada said, with a sweet smile.

I widened my eyes, blushing a little. "…Thank…you."

"You're welcome."

"You…" I started, quietly.

Ada observed me closely, awaiting the rest of what I was about to say.

"Do you like it here…at school?"

"Yeah, it's pretty fun. Learning…making friends and all." Ada glanced towards the window. The sun's glow was faint but the warmth of it squeezed the atmosphere in the room. It was like a massive tight blanket covering us.

"Friends?"

"Yes." Suddenly Ada noticed my expression as I looked away. It most likely was blank or even apathetic. "Ruin…have you ever had friends?"

I glanced at her saddened golden eyes. "Um…" I didn't know what she would think or what she would do. I didn't want to lie to her again. She cared. I had to be honest. "No."

Ada looked down at her clasped hands. The sun outside had become noticeably bleaker. "…I see."

"I…" My low voice caught Ada's attention and she glanced back to me. "…I have a friend here…now with me…don't I?" I smiled hopefully.

She grasped my hand tenderly and smiled kindly. "Yes… You do, Ruin." Her hand was warm and it's warmth flooded through me. _Friend? _

"Ada…"

Suddenly, the door opened.

A young girl stood in the center of the doorway. Her grey eyes scanned the room. Ada and I watched her with uncertainty. A mysterious aura floated around her presence. She was very much like an emotionless doll, clothed in a blue and white dress cut mid-thigh. A black tie hung down from the bottom of her neck.

"Pardon." She said innocently, in a monotone voice.

Ada and I were lost for words. The girl strutted up to the bed, watching the sleeping Gilbert with a deadpan look. I gasped when I saw her face more closely.

"What's his condition look like?" The young girl turned to me. Her bobbed white hair glistened in the hazy light, but what caught my attention more was the reddish mark shaped like a hand upon her left cheek. It looked painful but I tried not to stare.

"The doctor says he's suffered severe head trauma… but he's going to be alright. He's sleeping now. Please, don't wake him." I relayed the doctor's information to the girl calmly, but my eyes stuck to hers, unmoving, anticipating this girl carefully. Ada was also watchful of her.

Gilbert had told me that Ada was the one who had given him his hat. It was pretty clear that she was fond of him. I was ambivalent about this outcome.

"Um…" Ada took the opportunity to talk to the stranger. "…May I ask your name?" Her voice was quiet but the girl must have heard her and turned to face Ada.

"….Echo." The young marionette-faced girl uttered. The mark on her face was unattractive against her beautiful ghost-pale skin.

"Nice to meet you Miss Echo." Ada said with a smile and a gentle voice as always. "Do you know Gil?" Ada stood up from her seat next to me and moved over towards the girl called Echo.

"It's just Echo." The girl stared at Gilbert's face a moment longer. "Echo came to see this man. His brother is very worried… but if this man is well, I am leaving." The girl Echo turned and departed for the door.

"Wait, why did you come see him? Who exactly are you?" I questioned, standing up. I was perplexed more than I was irritated at the situation. _What's with this girl? By "his brother", does she mean Vincent? Is Vincent here?!_

"I told you…I am Echo." The girl said without any trace of feeling in her voice. A mindless puppet…was what I saw or at least was the semblance of what she was. I bit my lip. _Does… she work for Vincent? _

"Wait!" Desperation and anger tinged my question, but the girl Echo kept walking. It was as if she didn't even hear me. When she touched the doorknob, I walked quickly after her. I tried to catch her as she went past the door. "Where is –?!" As I reached, my hand only caught air. The girl Echo was gone.


	15. Chapter 14 Epilogue

Letting out a loud yawn, I sat on the side of the bed, ready to fall asleep already. I glanced out the window, now closed. I had opened it for some fresh night air although it was still bitterly cold outside. The ice along the panels of the window was slowly melting. The scent of the sweet mixtures of cedar and the soft breeze bringing with it new smells, was uplifting. The room was now very warm and very cozy like a small log cabin out in the woods. The candlelight beside my bed flickered – a fuzzy light in a dim room. It was a long day and I was eager for some shut-eye.

Unbuttoning my dark royal blue coat, I slid it off and threw it beside me. I pulled up my white dress shirt, squeezed my head out of it, and tossed that to the side as well. The hovering heat hugged me tightly, prickling my bare skin. As I reached for my long drooping pale nightshirt, the door suddenly creaked open.

"Ruin, we need to talk. I.."

My eyes darted up and met Elliot's. Our eyes fused. At the sight of me, he froze. His face turned white. In any other situation, I would have laughed at his expression, but in this situation…

"I...ah!" Elliot– his voice cracked– slammed the door. I stared at the door a few more seconds, petrified, now holding my nightshirt to my breast. I heard a rush of footsteps in the hall then everything was silent. I shrugged. _Serves you right for not knocking._Awkwardly, I continued to get dressed.


	16. Chapter 15

"So Elliot…forget to knock." The corners of Break's mouth turned into a sly grin. A dead silence fell over the room.

Elliot was standing, pale as a ghost, in front of the doorway. His appearance was disheveled, quite the opposite of his usual look.

There came a loud "pfff" noise from Break's doll. "Ha!" A silver spoon fell from Break's mouth and clattered on the wooden table beside his empty plate that held a slice of lemon meringue pie until just a few minutes ago. As he laughed, his white bangs swept freely, even though the rest of his hair was tied behind his head in a purple ribbon. From the couch across from him, I watched unamused; my body lazily leaned back against the cushions.

"Just shut up." Elliot growled without a glance towards Break. He walked past us, but then he stopped in his tracks. His eyes teetered over to me but then shot back in front of him as soon as he saw me. He left the room as swiftly as he had entered.

There was a long pause but then Break started up again.

"Must have been quite an inconvenience for you…" Break joked.

"Just shut up." I turned my back to him, folding my arms, blushing.

"So I struck a nerve." I could feel a large grin bearing down upon me.

I turned my head, angrily. "That's about all you do."

"Well…pardon me." Break replied with a smug intonation.

I continued to cross my arms, making it clear to Break that I wasn't happy with him nor was I going to talk to him.

"So…what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Break's voice was serious this time. …I was surprised he knew.

"I didn't say anything to you." I muttered cruelly, still not facing him.

"I know you wanted to ask me something. You've been wanting to for a while." His tone became more demanding.

I remained silent.

"Out with it."

I cast aside my stubbornness. "I…was wondering about the headmaster…"

"Yes? What about him?"

"Do you… know him…? …You said you met him the other day, the first day? …What was…what was…he like?" It was harder to get the words out that I had thought. Especially since Break was being all stoic now. _Does Break know about the headmaster? The headmaster knows about Alice? He may even know where she is…_

"I don't know him."

Break's simple monotonous answer caused my blood to boil.

"Is that all?" I turned my head callously eyeing him.

"That's all I know…although I have to say he's a mysterious character…" Break tipped a lollipop between his teeth.

"What do you mean "mysterious"?" My raw tone caused Break to eye me with irritation but he ignored me.

"Break, tell me!" I blurted. "The headmaster threatened me! He told me not to "save" Alice!" After the last foolish word had escaped my mouth, I cupped my mouth, cursing at myself for not thinking. My heart thumped loudly, like a drum, in my chest. Color faded from my face. I hoped that no one was anywhere near the door during my outburst. It was unlikely my voice would project any farther than a bit beyond the door, but I remained quiet, continually reprimanding my unwise actions in my head.

"The headmaster does know why we are here. I didn't have to explain at all. I assumed he knew from Pandora but… It's different …he knew from the beginning...but…you have now confirmed something for me…" Break whispered from the table. Suddenly there was a loud crunching noise. I whirled round to see Break breaking a cherry-red lollipop between his teeth.

"What?"

Break took the lollipop stem out of his mouth, and twiddled it between his fingers. "…That the headmaster has something to with Alice's kidnapping…he might even have her…"

"Break…about that Baskerville…"

A scream, like the sound of a million nails on chalkboard, blared throughout the hallways of the school. The echo reached Break and I, and at the sound, we snapped up out of our seats, feeling an uneasy feeling in the pit of our stomachs.


	17. Chapter 16

The scream had already died by the time we entered the hall. Break had broken through the door first; I followed closely behind him. After the scream, the only noise that filled the halls was the sounds of our heavy breaths and loud footsteps. We were side to side at one point but Break soon was several feet in front of me. I fell behind quick. _Break's fast!_

Although I didn't know where we were going, Break seemed to know. He darted to the right into another hallway and I almost lost him. When I turned the corner after him, a door suddenly appeared before me and I stumbled into the room, trying to catch my breath.

I staggered wearily past Break; my mind racing so fast, I was numb to the surroundings. Noticing my dazed expression, Break gently shoved me of the way.

A sudden whimper awoke me from my stupor. As I stepped further in, I noticed where we were— the music room. The grand piano was still; unattended and quiet.

Hearing a small voice to my left, I shifted my gaze.. My eyes froze to the sight before me. A cold sweat ran down the back of my neck.

"Ada?"

Ada lifted her head. Her eyes were crazed, but not in madness, in fear. She was pale and shaking. Her face was wet with tears.

"Dead." Ada raised her hands to the sides of her head, biting back the tears. Her golden eyes bulged. Suddenly, my heart sank as I noticed her hands. They were stained red.

I gasped as I stared down at Ada's feet. "What…?"

In the middle of dark pool of blood, was a corpse. Numerous stabs and deep cuts covered the face and the chest. It was like a scene from a nightmare; I couldn't look away no matter how disturbing the sight was. _It's like Jack the Ripper…_ The thing had once been a woman, judging from the lovely dress the corpse was wearing.

Without a moment to spare, I reached out and grabbed Ada's arm, pulling her away from the corpse. Crimson blood flaked on my long coat. A drop even plopped under my eye.

My entire body felt cold, like all the blood had drained from me. I couldn't stand the sight of the corpse. The disfigured face was more than enough to disturb anyone. Feeling sick, I looked way. A slick gurgling erupted in my throat and it stayed in my throat. I held my hand to my mouth to keep the vomit from coming up.

From the look on Break's face, he was disgusted but also morbidly interested. He leaned closer, kneeling down to examine the corpse more closely. His boots squelched sickeningly as they stepped in the blood.

"This...this is Ms. Collins." Break's voice was without any remorse as he rose to his feet.

"What…this person…?" I stepped back away from the scene, pulling Ada closer to me.

Break turned to face us, but I noticed he wasn't looking at me, he was staring hard at Ada. "Ms. Vessalius, this is quite a troublesome incident…are you responsible?"

Ada shook with fear; her terrified eyes looked in all different directions.

"Ada, what happened?" I grabbed her by both of the shoulders, staring into her wide eyes, but her lips just quivered. She didn't say a word.

Break sighed. "It's no use. She won't say anything." Break lifted an open palm and slapped it against the side of his temple. "She's in shock." He quickly passed me by, approaching the door.

"What about…?" I whirled around, still holding on to Ada's trembling small arm.

"Well… we need to call someone to replace the carpet." Break commented with a dark sarcasm. "I'll have Pandora clean up this mess." He flicked open the door, squeezing most of his body through it. "Now to find Reim…the headmaster should probably know about this too…" He lifted a finger to his lower lip. "Unless he already knows…" Break wandered off down the hall, leaving me completely baffled.

"Ruin…" Ada's voice broke through my consciousness.

Even though I was also trembling, I tried not to show my own insecurity, putting on a fake but warm smile while I slowly led her out of the room. Taking one last look at the nearly unrecognizable carcass of Ms. Collins, I shut the music room door with the click of the door.

"Are you guys okay?"

Swerving around, my eyes fell on Oz, standing in couple feet away. The anger had disappeared from his face and what had replaced it was worry.

Ada looked downward. From his expression, Oz had noticed the blood splatters on Ada's stockings and my coat. His face looked like it had seen a ghost. I had almost thought of something to say before Oz ran to Ada, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"Ada, are you alright?" He demanded, softly pressing the back of her head into his shoulder. There was no doubt Oz was terrified, believing his sister was injured. I backed away, giving them space.

"Ruin." Oz rotated in my direction; his eyes were sharp.

I prepared myself. If Oz misunderstood, he would surely do something stupid. On top of that, to keep this incident with Ms. Collins from him, I may have to lie to him. "Oz." I grimaced.

Suddenly, I felt arms cradle around my waist. Warmth spread through me as Oz pressed his body against mine. In surprise, my arms flew out at my sides, trying not to touch him. I heard Oz sniffle.

"Ruin, what's going on? The blood isn't yours— either one of you! Isn't it?" Oz cried out. "Tell me what's going on!" Oz's fingers dug into my sides, in the folds of my coat and deep into my skin. I stared down at him, dumbstruck. "First, Alice is taken, then Gilbert is injured...now there is blood on my little sister's clothes! I can't stand it! Why is everyone…!?" Oz sobbed.

Ada had her face to the ground, still frozen from the shock; wet tears dotted the carpet under her.

* * *

><p>"Well, I am glad that it has been handled." The headmaster clapped his hands together, beaming with a bright smile. "All of the students were in a separate building during the incident. They were taking an exam." He leaned back in his chair, crossing his fingers together. "It could have been a lot worse…but thanks to the efforts of Pandora, especially you two, the students and their families won't know a thing. I really appreciate your work here."<p>

Break and I stood in front his desk, side by side, watching him with hostility. _How is he so calm? Someone was just murdered… _I bit my lip.

The headmaster smirked. All of a sudden, he thrust something my way. I was taken aback when I noticed what was in his hand but I simply stared at it, unsure of what to do.

In his hand, there was a bar of chocolate. At the sight of it, my mouth began to water.

The headmaster smiled happily. "Take it."

My gaze lifted from the chocolate to the headmaster's eyes. My gaze held his for an awfully long while and unexpectedly, I noticed something I hadn't before. It was a memory that spurred it but I had no idea where it came from. _Purple eyes…_My eyes could not look away. _Just like hers…_ Captivated, I reached out my hand towards the headmaster, to those eyes that I was lost in…those eyes that were just like hers.

The headmaster widened his eyes, frozen with curiosity. My hand reached, stretching my fingers out. _Those eyes…I want them! _My mouth curved into a mad smile. I was in a dream. The entire world had faded around those eyes.

"Ruin."

Suddenly, I was snapped out of it by Break's voice. The smile disappeared and I lowered my hand. My heart jumped as the headmaster, without warning, shot his hand out towards my face, and with a single finger brushed away the speck of Miss Collins blood still under my left eye.

"I'm afraid I can't give you my eyes." The headmaster placed his head on top of his crossed fingers, smiling mischievously. The bar of chocolate lay in front of me, at the end of the desk. "This is for you, to thank you for your assistance, Miss Ruin."

"Well, if that is all…" Break started, as he turned to leave.

"Oh, Hatter, do you mind if Miss Ruin stays behind? I would like to talk with her privately." The headmaster rose out of his seat, whirled around his desk, and came up behind me. His hand fell on my shoulder as he gave a respectful nod to Break.

"To leave a defenseless troublesome girl in a situation with a mysterious figure like you…is that really a good idea?" Break shot a sly grin towards the headmaster.

"Mysterious figure? I am the headmaster of this school, Hatter. After these events, it is only necessary to interrogate those who were there."

"Interrogate?" Break didn't like the sound of that. He had opened the door but then suddenly slammed it close.

"My, My, Hatter. You certainly do have a temper even though you stay so calm most of the time. Did you have to slam the door like that?" The headmaster seemed displeased with Break and sighed heavily. "There has just been a murder. In situations like this, it is best to stay calm."

The headmaster held up a file with his other hand. "Agatha Collins, age thirty-one…she's been at this school for almost seven years. Unmarried. She is a land-rich aristocrat beyond her teaching career here. Her family and the Vessalius Dukedom have had a close friendship for generations. She is well-liked by the students and she has never had any threats made against her so her murder is quite astonishing." His eyes bore into Break's red eye. "Evidence?"

"According to Nurse Abbing, the wounds are indefinitely not self-inflicted. The cuts were made by a small blade and the killer must have taken the murder weapon with him."

"No witnesses?" Suddenly, the headmaster looked down upon me, smiling heartily.

"None." I assured.

"Well, that convenient for the killer." The headmaster released his hold on my shoulder.

"On second though, you've been through enough…I'll save the interrogation for later." He backed away from me and made his way back to his desk. "I'll leave you to get to class… It starts soon, does it not? You should hurry if you plan to make it on time…oh and about the exam, since you just entered this school, you don't have to take it. Though I do expect you to study hard for when you do take it." The headmaster lay hand on his chair, turning his back to Break and I. "Have a good day, both of you. You are dismissed."

* * *

><p>"No…you use this formula…" Gilbert's voice was gentle, as he reached over me and pointed to the formula scribbled near the top corner of the paper.<p>

"I'm sorry…why can't I understand this…?" As I leaned against his pillow, shuffling nervously besides him, I dropped my head between my folded arms. "I just…don't get it." I complained. "Why do you have to be so smart Gilbert?"

"Hey, don't beat yourself up over it…not all people can understand these equations…you are not the only one…to be honest, I had a hard time of it too…" Gilbert smiled, giving me confidence. "My master taught me…and I'm glad I can be your tutor."

"But I am so bad at this…" I buried my face in my arms so my words barely sounded like words.

"Ruin…" Gilbert's voice sounded disheartened.

"That's it." I snapped up and faced Gilbert with a determined expression. "I can just take your brain Gilbert…your mind."

"What?" Gilbert stared at me, startled.

"Yes, it is perfect. Your brain holds the intelligence to understand these formulas, equations and so on…if I have it, I will surely pass the class…"

"I think you are going a little too far there, Ruin…wouldn't I die?" Gilbert's golden eyes watched me with shocking anticipation.

"You would die…but you would help me in the end, wouldn't you?" I made my point clearly so that he could understand but his expression said different. But he then just smiled with a humor that I rarely saw on his face. I was so perplexed by this man.

_I'm so relieved he's feeling better…. even if he has to stay in Nurse Abbey's care a bit longer…Ms. Abbey said he needs to relax for once… Elliot still won't talk to him…Oz too … And even after all he's been through, he still offered to help me with my studies. _I looked down at my paper sadly.

"I don't really want to die, Ruin…but it would be great if you could understand the material a little better…honestly though… you have a clever mind…it's not good to wish you had another." He patted me on the head. "Just do your best and I'll always help you when you need me."

"…Okay." I nodded. I pressed my the other end of my pencil against his cheek. "Forget what I said about taking your brain…it would be too messy anyway."

"Messy?" He smiled innocently. "You are evil."

"I think I get this…" I circled the formula and the answer.

"I'm am happy you understand it Ruin." Gilbert's eyes held a loving nature within them. "It's getting late though. You should probably get some rest."

"You too." I slid off his bed, piling my notes and books into my hands. I started for the door.

"Good night Ruin."

I whirled around. "You too." I smiled thankfully and closed the door to the hospital wing without it making a sound. Luckily, there were no other patients besides Gilbert.

_Don't want to wake anyone up. Can't wait to get back to my room and sleep…_

"So how is my brother doing?" A familiar voice whispered from behind me. I turned and staggered back, barely avoiding a collision with the door.

Are you taking care of him?" Vincent's lecherous smile made me feel uneasy. His red dirty eyes seemed like they had seen every deprivable act unimaginable. His hand reached out and held up my chin. A tremble went down my spine. "Are you playing the nurse?" He flashed a quick but sinister smile.

"Where is Alice?" I gritted my teeth, bravely holding my ground. _Why am I so afraid of this man? Why?_

"It's rude to simply ignore my question." Suddenly he lifted up my chin sharply so that my gaze was one with his. His fingers dug into skin. It hurt. Pain spread through the muscles of my neck.

"He's doing…fine." I could barely get the words out.

"That's good. I'm glad he's doing well." Roughly, he let go of my chin, turning away as I took a few steps away from him, glaring as I rubbed my chin. "That reckless child did this …she deserves a punishment more fitting than a measly slap..." Vincent's expression grew bitter, unlike his usual charismatic personality. His long blonde hair flew behind him as he turned towards me. "That gives me an idea."

"You didn't answer my question." I tightened my fist. Vincent stared at me with disinterested eyes.

"How did you manage to hold on to that anger and hatred for so long, dear Ruin?" Vincent approached me, leaning to whisper into my ear. His breath slithered down the nape of my neck. "It is because…that's all you could see…" I froze. "Trapped in that hellhole…by yourself…left alone...only memories of her, right? They were suppressed once you came into this world, weren't they? Was it that painful…to relive it?"

"You bastard…" I hissed.

"You too…am I right?" Vincent whispered. His mouth curved into a detestable grin.

I felt a lump in the pit of my throat. My anger felt like it was rushing back and forth, getting stronger with every wave. Blood trickled down from where my teeth had clamped down on my lip. My breathing was unstable. I wanted to move but something held me back. Maybe I was being logical but I knew I couldn't do anything about him. He gave a smug grin, as if he could read my mind.

"It's a pity that Zwei didn't do her job." He closed his eyes, still smiling confidently, as he slunk off into the hallway. "Your existence is unwanted." His black robes swept side to side as he went on his way into the dim hallway.


	18. Chapter 17

**_~100 YEARS AGO~_**

_A speck of cold snow fell on my nose._

_I quickly covered my nose with both hands to stop the icy pain from spreading, melting the ice with the warmth. _

"_What is this?"_

_I stared up to meet eyes with an elderly woman. She seemed displeased at the sight of me and my worn filthy clothes, my baggy shirt and trousers. Another person bumped violently against me. Many people were passing me by, without a word or even a glance in my direction. It was like I was invisible…but I knew they could see me. Their expressions were kindred to the old granny's. _

"_You are driving them away. Shoo!" The elderly woman waved her cane, threatening to hit me. I backed away, distancing myself from her cane. _

_Suddenly, I saw a speck of white floating down past my eyes. Watching it with wonder, I tried to catch it. Once it fluttered into my tiny open palm, it melted instantly. Looking up, I saw more—bright drops of illuminating light fell from the heavens, dropping on clothes, blanketing the streets. I stood with a dazed expression, captivated by the falling snow. _

_Everything around me was a haze now. Blinding lights clouded my vision, the reflection of the snow. _

_My gaze fell upon two dirty children, two girls, embracing each other, hidden by the darkness of the alleyway. One of the young girls, the eldest, watched me with a blue eye that cried for death. I shuddered when I saw her; she had no left eye, stretched skin tissue in its place. She was like a damaged doll. Her short matted brown hair barely hid her deformation. She had been there with her sister ever since we came to this town. I never talked to them…but I saw them everyday. She tried stealing once…but Mother hit her…swatted her away like a fly… _

_Someone shoved me hard, and I slipped on fresh horse droppings, falling hard against the cobblestone road. A pile of snow took in most of the impact. Water splashed into my face from a puddle to my right. I grit my teeth, pushing myself up from the snow. ….swatted away like a fly…._

_I quickly stumbled to my feet to avoid being trampled and pushed through the crowd; many people, in their tight frock coats and evening dresses shot glares and disgusted expressions. _

_Where are they? They are gone. My eyes scanned through the many faces, searching for traces of their likeness. Mother…where…where is Mother's cart? Father would be shouting to the people desperately. Where are they? They are gone. I listened but the many noises clattering around me made it impossible to distinguish any one voice or sound. _

_I was not running anymore; my meager body was being shoved through the masses of people. My feet barely touched ground. I made no noise. I was no better than mangy animals surviving on these streets. __I frantically dug my hands between people, attempting to squeeze past them. Gentlemen beat me with their canes and others simply smacked me away. Someone even pulled my tangled wet hair. I didn't feel much pain; I was numb from the cold, the winter air that nipped at my flesh._

_Something slid under my feet, knocking me down face first into the snow. I coughed hard, my face stinging from the shock. Why…why am I here now? …Why is everyone here now? There are so many things I don't understand… _

_As I looked up at the people who passed me by, I saw the many apathetic faces of many different people—the faces of my parents since my birth. I could not shake their looks, their eyes of hate and revulsion, like I was a disease, a disease on this world, their world. _

_They brought me into this world, but those eyes, their eyes…only saw me as a pest, a miserable pest they fed to keep alive. But they wanted to live too ... save themselves…_

* * *

><p><strong>~PRESENT TIME~<strong>

I shielded my eyes from the blinding but warm sunlight beaming through the windows, as I hurriedly paced down the hallway, towards the hospital wing. It was too early for everyone else to be up but I had to stop by and see her before my classes started for the day.

_It's a pity that Zwei didn't do her job…__Your existence is unwanted… _I still couldn't shake Vincent's words…_ That Baskerville called herself Zwei…_

"Ruin, what are you doing up so early?" Gilbert's voice broke through my thoughts. I stopped in my tracks and lifted my head. Gilbert was leaned against the right side of the door to the hospital wing, tilting his head, as he flashed me a curious smile. I spotted Oz a little farther down the hall, sitting, his back against the wall. A concerned look was plastered on his face.

"I'm here to see Ada before classes start." I pressed my schoolbooks tightly against my chest. "Is she doing any better?" Looking up at Gilbert, I hoped for some positive news. It had only been a couple days since the incident… Ada had not eaten or slept since then.

Gilbert shook his head sadly. "She hasn't said a word to either of us… I guess…she still needs some time."

Gilbert traced my bright blue eyes. He nodded, carefully opened the door, and motioned me inside.

The door creaked to a close, as I stepped forward, eying Ada in the corner of the room.

Her shadow was cast from the window, as light from the morning sun showered upon her. The glass reflexed her face, in a stupor, gazing deeply out into the yard. Or perhaps she had her eyes on somewhere else.

I stepped forward towards her, quietly. "Ada."

Ada didn't flinch or move at all at the sound of my voice. As I grew closer to her, I noticed her clothes had been changed. What replaced her bloodstained uniform was a pale ruffled nightgown. Her beautiful blonde hair was untidy, and her messy bangs hung loosely around her desolate eyes. "Ada."

Faint dark circles highlighted Ada's eyes as they glimmered as the sun's rays danced off them.

"Everyone is worried about you…"

Ada didn't say a word. She continued to stare out the window.

"Ada." I stepped closer to her, and reached out my hand.

All of a sudden, she reeled around, facing me directly. Fresh tears welled up in her eyes. _Please...don't cry Ada...please..._My heart wrenched in my chest, and it's ache pulled me to her. Her eyes widened as my lips lightly brushed against hers.

* * *

><p><strong>~THREE DAYS AGO...~<strong>

"My parents...?" I smiled. "I haven't thought about them for an awfully long time..." I buried my head between my knees, feeling a slight fluttering in my chest. "It's nice to remember again." I tilted my head, taking a glance at Ada, who had lifted her gaze from the runes in one of her books. Her expression said she was confused but awaited my answer. Her shoulder grazed mine and I felt her warm heat radiate towards me.

The librarian had left to relay something to the headmaster, and she had relinquished her title onto Ada in her absence. The librarian and Ada were pretty close since Ada often came here. Although, Ada was obsessed with books about magic and the occult, the librarian was ultimately happy that she read so diligently. _Ada's amazing...  
><em>

I pulled my knees towards me, resting my head on the heads of my kneecaps. "…My parents were not born wealthy… and although they were poor, they were honest good people. They were street peddlers you see...When I came into the picture, after some time… they did not want me anymore. They wanted to save themselves...they didn't want to feed me...They tried to get rid of me…tricked me, abandoned me, even tried to sell me… I didn't understand at the time…but I do now." I was silent.

Ada's eyes drifted down to the floor, her eyes, it seemed as my pain was mirrored in her eyes. Her face, downcast, her lips quivered. A darkness had fallen over her. _Does she pity me? Why is she acting like this? _I watched her, longing for her eyes, her face. _Ada, don't be sad for me..._

I wanted to see her expression. _What will she say? _Ada seemed like she didn't know what to say, at least I thought so, but I was surprised when I heard her soft voice. "What…what happened to them?" Ada laid a hand on mine. Her touch was soft and comforting.

"They died."

Ada looked down. "I'm sorry Ruin."

"You have no need to be sorry…" I gave a pained smile. "I don't remember their faces anymore…so it's not as if I'm being haunted by them. It was a long time ago..."

"Still," Ada said with a light smile "…you aren't alone." Her eyes were very much like the sun, shining rays of warm light through, stretching their way through me. "You have people that care about you, Ruin. Oz, Break, Gilbert, and even Elliot…they all care about you. Don't you know that?"

I widened my gaze. "Ada."

"We're your friends."


	19. Chapter 18

My heart throbbed deep in my chest. …_I wonder... if her heart is beating as fast as mine._

Time carried on forever, but realistically it was just a few moments. When I stepped back, my eyes ran over hers—her wide eyes now completely focused on me. I smiled in relief, reassured. "That's a better expression." Her fair skin flushed a light shade of pink. Suddenly, tears began to well up in her eyes. I lifted my hand to her right cheek. "Please, don't cry, don't be sad anymore…Ada." I gave a small shy smile. "I can't take it."

Playing with her hair, letting strands slip through my fingers, I stared into her deep eyes. "It's as you said…you aren't alone…" Ada's eyes did not move from mine. I wiped the tears from her eyes. "You have people that care about you." Ada stood, red-faced, completely at a loss for words. "I—"

"Am I interrupting anything?" A familiar eerie voice spoke behind us.

Ada and I both turned to the doorway at almost exactly at the same time, watching anxiously as a figure whooshed through the doorway and into the room, trailing black robes behind him. I couldn't help but freeze in place.

Smiling in a friendly manner, Vincent strode up to Ada—forcing me to move out of the way—taking her hand in his, and kissed it gracefully. Her face became even redder than it already was. Vincent cackled as her eyes met his. Then suddenly, he became worried. "I heard what happened…are you okay?"

Ada held his gaze for a long while before she shyly nodded, leaning to her right to give me a glance. I looked back, unsure of what to say. I remained silent but once Ada turned her gaze back to Vincent, I shot Vincent a quick glare. He did not look my way; he merely continued to smile at Ada.

"So, Ada, when is the next time we can meet?" Vincent leaned in close to her, brushing a few strands of golden hair behind her ear. "Let's go on a walk together sometime soon." His fingers traced down her neck as his warmth breath prickled the skin around her collarbone. Ada trembled but not in fear. "I can't bear to be parted from you any longer…" His words danced off his tongue, as he watched her seductively.

Ada, her face completely red, didn't say anything as she stared up at him with stark golden eyes.

"Vince."

Vincent rotated his head ever so slightly. A modest smirk crept upon his lips as he rose to his feet, releasing Ada's hand in his grasp. "Yes, Gil."

"Don't you think that Ms. Ada… I mean Ms. Vessalius should rest?" Gilbert questioned, with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Gil, why the cold look?" Vincent placed a finger at his lip mischievously, slitting his eyes so only his golden irises were visible.

"I didn't know you were here." Disappointment sank into Gilbert's expression as his eyes continually stabbed into his brother.

"I heard Milady was injured so, of course, I would come here." Vincent's smile had a tender touch but I was almost sure it was fake. He whirled round, his red and gold eyes pressed into Ada, with a loving yet overbearing gaze. He veered closer, until his lips were inches from her left ear and into her ear, he whispered.

Her face blushed red as a rose and she backed quickly away from him.

"Vince. I would like to have a word with you." Gilbert's voice was stern.

Vincent moved away from Ada, lightly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, and then strode quickly over to Gilbert waiting at the door. "That Oz told me you left the room." He commented cheerfully. As they left the room, Vincent laughed. "So Gil—" The door closed with a loud click.

My eyes shifted from the door to Ada on my left, who stood red-faced in the center of the room. "Ada?"

Ada's golden eyes seemed to rise slowly to meet mine but ultimately they cowered and fell to the ground.

"Ada…" I watched her with confusion. "I'm sorry."

Ada didn't raise her head.

"I should get to class…I'll…I'll visit you tomorrow, okay?" I put on a fake smile, hating myself for pretending like Vincent but as I turned to leave the room, a sickness arose in the pit of my stomach, but with one last glance at Ada, nodding her head and clasping her hands together, I left the room.

The rest of the day blew by like a windy day, miserable but remarkably quick. I had little time to think about Ada, and the unexpected one who was courting her—the very one who took Alice—Vincent. I watched the windows, passing time following the frost melt into water and run down the glass. It wasn't easy to swallow the relationship between Ada and Vincent but I was sure that Gilbert wouldn't allow Ada to be harmed by his brother. I trusted Gilbert more than anyone.

When it came time for dinner, as I was walking through the hallway to the dining hall, I stumbled upon a shadow flashing against the window. At first I thought it was Break, seeing as he usually came to drag me to the headmaster's office at this hour— and we would eat in another room— to talk, but as I grew nearer to this figure, I realized it was not Break. It wasn't even human.

The light from the moon shone light on the figure. I panicked when I saw the shadow stretch into a massive form. All of a sudden, grotesque long arms spread into sharp claws, twisting in on themselves, then pulsated into a large mass of black.

The candles all suddenly blew out as the shadow, like a large wind, swept over the room. I watched this, frozen in place.

"What…what are you?" I shuddered, watching the shadow approach me. A dark crimson eye peeked out from the black cloud. Chills ran up and down my body as my skin turned pale as a ghost. "Is this…is this a…Chain?" A wide grin appeared from the cloud, spreading farther and farther until it covered the entire expanse around me.

"Cheshire knows!" The shrill voice shrieked, echoing throughout the atmosphere. "You won't hurt Alice!"

_Cheshire? _I was swallowed up, thrown into the blackness of the shadow. I didn't make a noise. I just let the darkness envelop me until I was submerged completely. _What's Cheshire?_

* * *

><p>I awoke, from my short slumber to find I was in another world. A bright one, unlike the dark one I had fallen into. Below, red and black-checkered tile stretched far and wide under my feet. Above my head was total darkness but in front of me, I recognized the inside of a little room, with crimson curtains, dolls lining wooden shelves, and a tea set laid upon a rickety table. It looked very much like the room I had been into before, the room with the fake Alice.<p>

_It looks similar to that room from before…with the fake Alice? Am I in the Abyss? _

"Cheshire won't let you hurt Alice!" The voice repeated again as I whirled around the room to find where the voice was coming from but found nothing, not an entity to explain the source of the voice. Then, my eyes saw it.

Instantaneously, a spasm of pain struck my heart as if something sharp plunged into my chest. I cried out, and sank to my feet. A strange feeling took me over, a fluttering inside of my mind, and fuzzy pictures flooded through my head.

Within the frames of my consciousness, I could see a girl, a girl with flowing dark hair and captivating purple eyes. She smiled cheerfully. _I see her… Alice! _Cradled in her arms, a cat with a small bell hanging from its collar. It purred lovingly, rubbing its little head against her sleeve._ That… cat…! I remember it!_

From within a burst of black fire, a wide terrified crimson eye and a hollow eye socket to its right were faintly seen through the blackness.

_Cheshire! This cat…is Cheshire! He's…he's alive!" _The grin quickly became a twisted frown spreading, baring sharp triangular fangs within its jaws. The eyes became deranged with madness.

It all came back to me, the memory of Cheshire. _Is it this world, this place that triggered it?_

"Cheshire won't let you destroy Alice's place!" The agonized voice continued to shriek.

"Becoming a chain like this, Cheshire, what is your purpose now?" I stared up into the deranged cat's red eye. "You cannot be with dear Alice anymore."

"Purpose? Killing anyone who makes Alice sad is Cheshire's purpose."

"Is that why you brought me here?" I watched the eyes of the shadow with indifference. "Are you going to kill me, cat?"

"Cheshire will kill you. Cheshire will protect Alice's memories!" The black fire swallowed up the cat, grin and all. Cracks in the black and purple expanse of time followed up the walls, along the sides, and met with other cracks.

_Memories?_

I flinched when I heard the sound of bells ringing together, as well as the sound of soft footsteps against the hard tile floor, approaching me.

Suddenly, a form detached from the enormous black embodiment shaped like cat's head. Feet came first—long pointy black shoes, then legs, covered by tight black pants. It was a person, a thin young man with messy black hair that covered the right side of his face. Small but sharp fangs poked out from under his upper lip. Cat ears twitched atop his head, in the mess of his unkempt hair.

"Cheshire hates taking this form…so annoying." The young man faced the ground, mumbling to himself as he treaded closer to me. He wore a sleeveless tight black shirt with exposed sides held together by strings tied in an X pattern. A black cape that trailed down his back split into two identical black ribbons with large gold bells tied to them. As he walked, the bells rang, creating a beautiful uplifting sound. But the situation was not uplifting. A dark crimson eye fixated on me. _That eye...seems familiar._

Cheshire lifted up one of his long enormous paws to lick it. As I eyed the long razor-sharp silver claws protruding from Cheshire's fingers, I took a step back.

"Cheshire will kill you and protect Alice and her memories." A sinister grin spread on Cheshire's pale face.

"So she sealed her memories in here so that she could forget…how cowardly."

"Don't say anything bad about Alice!" The cat snarled, angrily. "Cheshire's claws will feel good against your skin!" A large paw swiped at me, but I dodged it, barely avoiding the long horrible claws.

"You're still as feisty as ever, Cheshire…nothing has changed about you over a hundred years." I commented, smirking with a subtle amusement.

"Shut up!" the cat screamed, swiping again and again with its massive black paws. I cold hear the ringing of his bell, quite clearly. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Let Cheshire kill you!"

I dodged the swipes, but just barely. Cheshire was fast, probably faster than any Chain. He was a cat after all.

_This cat…is such...a pain! He really does care about Alice, doesn't he? He's…he's a fool! Isn't he?_

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you…I'll kill you for Alice's sake!" Cheshire screamed, lashing out at me with his claws.

_Alice…Alice…yes, Alice. _I smiled. "Alice!"

Cheshire stopped in his tracks, staring at me in confusion. "What…?"

"Alice…I can take you to Alice…" I smirked. "Do you want to see her again?"

Cheshire's brooding blood-red eye grew wide with surprise, and I even caught a hint of fear as he lowered his formidable claws.


	20. Chapter 19

_~A study in Lutwidge Academy~ _

"Why are you so upset, Gil?" Lounging upon a sand-colored couch, Vincent lazily waved his hand. "I already told you all about the Baskervilles."

"Just stop, stop avoiding my question, Vince!" Gilbert barked, his golden eyes flashing and his nostrils flaring.

Vincent slowly shifted his face away from Gilbert, clearly peeved.

"Did you try to have us killed?"

"You're mistaken Gil…"

"What was it then? Why did you—?"

"The target was never you." Vincent rested his hand under his chin, staring off into space. "He has to die..." Vincent's voice became ominous as he spoke. "In order to spare you, Gil, he has to die."

"What are you talking about— target?" Gilbert's eyes widened. "Ruin." Gilbert angrily grabbed Vincent by his ascot and collar, violently jerking him toward him.

"It doesn't really matter now…it's not like he can find her." At Vincent's cold apathic voice, a bead of sweat slid down Gilbert's cheek.

* * *

><p><em>~Cheshire's Dimension~<em>

"I can take you to Alice…do you want to see her again?"

Cheshire fixed his eye on me, menacingly. _I have to get him to leave this dimension. I can use him to find out where Alice is!_

"You're lying! You want to hurt her! The Will told Cheshire so…Cheshire won't let you hurt Alice!" Cheshire swiped at me without hesitation, but I stood my ground. Blood splattered his claws as they hooked into my shoulder, tearing deep into the skin.

_This stupid cat…! _His deranged eye met both of my eyes, switching its gaze back and forth. "Cheshire will kill you."

Feeling a shocking pain spread up my neck and down my arm, I stammered, "Alice…is in danger…"

Cheshire glared disapprovingly. "Not anymore." His claws sunk deeper into my shoulder.

_I have to motivate him somehow… _I clenched my teeth, angrily. "Not me… you fool, the Baskervilles. The Baskervilles… have her. They are going… to kill her if you don't hurry up… and do something."

"Liar."

"You're… the liar." I scoffed, glaring deep into his eye. "You lied… to her."

"I AM NOT!" Cheshire screamed, retracting his claws from my numbing arm, and with his large paw, he swatted me away like a fly. Tumbling across the hard ground, the impact knocked the wind out of me.

I struggled to breathe as I heard his footsteps approach me.

"Cheshire doesn't want to listen to you anymore." Cheshire stared down at me with a frown. "You just want to hurt Alice."

"…Only you can save her, Cheshire… she needs her protector…otherwise she'll die!"

"Stop lying to Cheshire!" He screamed, covering his black cat ears, shaking his head back and forth. His bell faintly chimed, the noise echoing throughout Cheshire's Dimension.

"She loved you…why won't you save her…Cheshire?"

When he reached for me, I froze, but then his claw shook.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" In horror, I watched as he grasped the sides of his head, and pressed into his skull. His claws red with blood, he shook back and forth and stumbled to his knees, still screaming. Bells clinked. The long black ribbons trailed over his body, twisting over his arms and legs. Suddenly, Cheshire's body suddenly began to dissipate.

Frozen, I watched as he slowly turned into a haze, then his body folded in on itself. Hearing a loud crash, I jolted upward. Cheshire's shriek resonated through the dimension, causing the walls to begin to crack. Another crashing sound, alike to glass shattering, echoed.

I caught sight of him, Cheshire, smashing into the walls, and clawing, much like an insect fighting to get itself free from a spider web. His eye was wild, and his face was terrifying.

Stumbling to my feet, I gripped my torn shoulder; my breath heavy and strained. Warm moist blood slid down my arm, plopping onto the crystal-like marble floor.

"…The bell...?"

The entire racket— the crashing, the ringing, even the faint clamor of Cheshire's bell— stopped within that moment. Only my heart, beating violently, pounded in my chest.

The bells of his long black ribbons jangled as Cheshire settled before me, his wine-red eye fixed on me; his body trembling with anger and fatigue building up inside on him. He displayed his claws, shaking.

_This is the __**only**__ way. This cat __**will**__ take me to Alice. _

"Cheshire, we both care about Alice…we can work together to find her."

"Or Cheshire could just kill you and find Alice himself." He raised a long talon in my direction.

"Your choice…but seeing as you haven't killed me yet, I would say that is unlikely."

Cheshire glared, lowering his large claws. "You're weak."

_This cat! _I bit my lip. "You brought me here to kill me…why would I would I want to save Alice if you say I want to harm her?" I gave a weak smile.

Cheshire didn't say anything.

"We are running out of time…" My eyes bore into his one.

"Cheshire will not be tricked…if you harm Alice…"

"Alice will be dead…unless we find her…your bell…"

"What about it?"

"Alice gave it to you, did she not? …I can't do anything but you can…using that bell, you can find her…"

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, Vince?"<p>

Vincent probed Gilbert's irritated expression. "It is as I said. She was never with them." He tipped his head slightly. "You just assumed she was."

"Vince! You better not be lying to me!"

Vincent did not shake his expression; he stood and put a hand on Gilbert's shoulder, leaning in closer. "Who can you trust, Gil?"

Gilbert took a few steps back from Vincent but his glare continued to pierce Vincent.

"Vince, explain."

"Well, since you look so desperate, I'll tell you what I **want** to tell you." Vincent placed a finger above his chin, as a egotistical smile crept over his lips.


	21. Chapter 20

"Using that bell, you can find her."

He just stared bitterly down at me. "Tch!" Turning away from me, he slowly reached up to his neck, and with a quick movement of his claws, the ribbon around his neck was sliced off. The jangling bell fell into his open paw.

"Alice's memories are in there. If you look closely, they may lead you to her."

Cheshire stared at his hand, a fixed gaze directly on the bell.

"Try closing your eye."

Cheshire's hand quivered as he slowly closed his eye.

_This cat sure is difficult...hope this works..._

After a few moments, his face was peaceful.

Suddenly, his hand tightened over the bell, and a sudden glow enveloped his hand, reflecting in the glaze of my eyes. Cheshire was bleeding, his fangs sunk deep into his lower lip, causing red liquid to slide down his chin.

_He sees her! _I quickly grabbed hold of Cheshire's clenched fist. Once I did, I nearly stumbled in the process, as I was almost instantly bombarded by clear memories, flooding through my head and in front of my eyes. From all sides, I saw Alice.

Trying to keep my head and focus, I closed my eyes, and barely managed out. _Where…is Alice…? _The words repeated in my mind, and I suddenly felt myself spinning. Not my body, but my mind.

My body felt numb, as if I was dropping off a high cliff, about to hit the sea, but I still felt my hand atop Cheshire's, smooth claws under fingers.

The memories were still running through my head, like a movie reel. A young Alice appeared; her face lit up, laughing, soft violet eyes glistened among her dark bangs. She was in the presence of a gentleman, a man with long white hair, tied into a braid then wrapped around a ponytail, who smiled affectionately at Alice with warm eyes. _Who's he? Who is he to Alice?_

But before I could concentrate on the scene any longer, it was gone.

A blonde man was in the next memory, visiting an older Alice with a black cat in her arms, in what looked like a tower. She wasn't who she seemed there, a darker Alice wearing darker dresses. The man, blonde hair in a long braid, green eyes like emerald, a sinister smile… _Jack Vessalius! _Three children were behind him. One had black hair and golden eyes, uncanny to Gilbert, the other had golden hair and two different colored eyes—red and gold, and the last one...dark brown hair…blue eyes… The boys glared at Alice, all except the blue-eyed one…who just smiled friendlily at Alice. "Hello Alice."

_Me? ...the day I first met Alice..._

The reel of memories suddenly twisted and turned until they were gone, and there was nothing but black. The black took over my conscience, the numbness tightening until I slowly drifted into the darkness.

* * *

><p>I felt hard ground beneath me, like I was lying on cold ice. The numbness was gone, and my mind was empty. My eyes flicked open, scanning side to side and I slowly lifted myself from my horizontal position. A cringing pain shot through my shoulder and down my arm, as my eyes caught sight of the terrible wound on my shoulder. After quickly rubbing my eyes with my sleeve, I focused my eyes to examine where I was, turning my head, and spotting Cheshire beside me, asleep, with his head tucked between his paws.<p>

Noticing the bell only a few feet away, I reached to grasp it.

"Ah!"

A stinging pain coursed through my right hand, and my head snapped up, and peered into the agitated countenance of Cheshire Cat.

"Taking Cheshire's bell and scurrying off. Troublesome…and foolish." He twisted his foot atop my numbing hand. Staring into his cold annoyed expression, I grit my teeth. His temper was undoubtedly on its edge, considering his desperation. There was no time to get into a glaring match though, not when there was too much at stake.

"What is this place?" Cheshire thought aloud, curiously surveying all that was around him, the inside of a large rich building, with a high glass ceiling. His ears twitched.

"A CHAIN! A CHAIN'S BROKEN IN! FIND IT QUICKLY BUT BE CAUTIOUS!" The panicked voices were close, fast approaching us.

Removing his foot from my hand—that I hastily took back—he delicately picked up the bell with the tips of his fingers. As I struggled to hoist myself up on one hand, Cheshire watched me with contempt. A pool of blood was already forming below me, spreading out along the silver tile floor.

"You better hurry. They are coming." His shady eyes pierced mine.

"Shut up." I whispered under my breath.

"Is that silver tongue all you have? Are you really that weak?" He turned to leave, the faint sound of jangling bells following him. I tried to lift myself up again, barely able to make out the question, "Where are you off to?"

Cheshire just glanced back at me, with sour expression. "Where else? I'm going to save Alice."

Desperately, I tried to get my hand underneath my chest, in order to push myself from the floor, but it was no use, my body was under too much strain from the wound. With every attempt, more blood spilled out of my shoulder. I shot a glare towards Cheshire, as he walked farther and farther away, with a slow satisfactory stride.

Embittered with anger, I pushed against the ground with my hands with one last effort, sliding my knees underneath me, as I kicked off the ground. I staggered forward, clenched my bloody shoulder, and started after him. It didn't take me long to catch up to him; he hadn't gone far at all. _This cat…why is he walking?! Is he insulting me or is he not in a hurry to save Alice?! _I glared, but Cheshire did give me one curious glance.

As the chaotic noises down the corridor grew louder and louder, we started into a run down the long wide hallway, passing each door by. According to Cheshire's scent, none of them contained Alice, so we continued on.

Despite the pain spreading through my entire body from my wound, I pressed on after him. _I have to stay close to him. He's the only way out of here!_

As we ran farther and farther, the voices soon were hard to hear, but we did not stop, even when time felt like it was passing for what seemed like forever. It wasn't until Cheshire stopped suddenly, his ears twitching, and he faced a door to his right, that I knew that we had found her, though the door wasn't any different than the rest. As Cheshire reached out to touch the door, he noticed his hand was too large to even attempt to open the door, and shrunk back his hand.

With a sigh, I slid in front of him and rolled the doorknob with ease, opening the entrance into the dark room. Cheshire followed closely behind, his sharp claws displayed, prepared to attack. Although the room was black as pitch, a ray of light ran across the floor from the doorway in front of us. I gasped when I saw what the light touched.

Alice was draped in a mass of silver chains, tightened around her arms and legs, alike an insect caught in a spider's web. Her once fair skin was now blotched purple and blue in many different places but because of the light flush of color in her cheeks and lips, we were relieved to see she was not dead. She was merely asleep in a transient state.

"Her chains, Cheshire."

Without a word, Cheshire swiped his hand across the chains. His long silver claws sliced through the steel chains with ease as he dealt with one after the other, careful to avoid Alice's flesh.

Soon, there was but one chain left. Cheshire cut through the last one with one long nail. As the chain unraveled from her body, I hurriedly scooped her up in my arms, a gentle weight with a tranquil face, despite the dark bruises on her limbs and neck. Her heartbeat still endured, matching mine with a steady but faint pulse.

"The Baskervilles will pay for hurting Alice!" Cheshire grit his teeth, flexing his claws.

"Yes, they will."

Suddenly, there was a loud noise, like thunder.

Cheshire turned to me, with a grave expression. "They're coming."

"THIS WAY!" A booming voice shouted, and more intense but muffled voices followed, clustered together.

My eyes dashed to the door in panic, clutching Alice against me, as I started into a run and fled down the hallway.

"THE CHAIN WAS SPOTTED IN THIS DIRECTION! CAPTURE THE CREATURE!" What sounded more like a dozen footsteps echoed across the walls, closing in on us, despite our efforts to outrun them. Cheshire swooped beside me, almost akin to a bat. He was faster than me, but he kept at a pace with me, his eye glued to Alice the whole while.

"Cheshire, get us… out of here! We have to get...Alice out!" I called out within my gasping breaths.

Cheshire's eye then hooked to mine. I didn't like what his eye foretold. "Not with others…Cheshire can't …only himself!" I knew then he was not lying. "We have… to find another way out!"

"Another way?" I turned away from him and stared down at Alice. "Yes, another way, we have to find another way."

Suddenly, Cheshire stopped in his tracks, stretching his arm out to prevent me from running past him. A quick shiver ran up Cheshire's body, and his messy hair stood up on edge. His red eye, though, fixated on what was in front of him.

Get Alice out of here." Cheshire ordered, aggressively. His eye did not turn back, just stared ahead.

I watched him with curiosity. _Is he being noble? ...Quite a departure from his normal self…_

"Cheshire said, get Alice out of here!" Cheshire barked, stepping forward.

Without hesitation, I darted away, down the side corridor, without looking back at the fearless cat. Stopping in my tracks, I rotated around to hide aside the wall then peered over.

An immense black circle appeared above, morphing into a large black hat with a tattered cape and chains circling it, towering above Cheshire. I gasped when a red eye appeared below. _That chain!_

A figure walked out from under the Chain. Silvery hair and one red eye…I gasped. _Break?_ _What is…what is Break doing here? Is he here to save Alice too? _

"Quite brave, breaching Pandora alone…" Break spoke, his eye on the ground, lightly swinging his cane, smiling. Blood stained the sides of his mouth and his chin.

_Pandora? This place is Pandora? _I backed away; gazing down at Alice's sleeping face, resting my back against the wall. _Alice has been in Pandora all this time?! The Baskervilles…why? Has Pandora… been hiding her…? _I stared round the corner, eyeing Break with distrust. _Break, you bastard! You lied to me!_

"I was sure you had another accompanying you…" Break ran his eye down the shaking Cheshire. Despite his cowardice, he stood his ground. I was surprised. _This is Cheshire…that mangy pet afraid of his own shadow? What's strange is… Alice always protected him. Now…he's the one protecting Alice…_

_He's more of a fool than I thought._

"Are you here to protect Alice while your accomplice gets away…or are you hiding her?" Break stepped closer, and as he did, his dark chain floated above as if physically attached to him. Cheshire took a step back, staring up at the chain in fear.

"No matter what you do, little cat, you can't escape me nor can you defeat me…now where is Alice?" Break reached into his left pocket, and lifted a red lollipop to his lips, ripping the plastic covering off with his teeth.

"Cheshire will protect Alice no matter what… even if it means Cheshire dies."

"You'll never tell me, will you?" Break sighed, tapping his cane against the ground, annoyed. "Oh, well." He bit down on the lollipop; the sickening sound of it cracking between his teeth mixed with the deafening pandemonium of the chain atop him, covering the atmosphere around them with a blanket of darkness, proceeded by a blinding white light.

Glancing back, there was a moment, only one single moment, when I saw Cheshire's dreaded eye, as confusion and panic filled his face, I felt two emotions at once, equal and strong they were, and they overtook me.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

A slight grin spread across my lips, as I watched the pitiful cat's silhouette gradually disappear.


	22. Chapter 20 Epilogue

My entire arm felt asleep as the cold air hit the open wound on my shoulder. Within my chest, my heart felt heavier compared to Alice, and more and more blood secreted from my arm. All around was noiseless, apart from the boisterous pounding of my heart and the sound of my gasping breaths. But faintly, I could hear the vague sounds of approaching Pandora agents close behind.

"Ruin!" The feminine voice was familiar. I furiously scoured all sides of the hallway, searching for her. A clopping sound fast approached; its pace on par with my unstable but enduring gait, and I swung around to meet the apparition.

Holding Alice close to my breast, I confronted the voice but instead a shadow flew past me, and suddenly blocked my way. Panicked, it took me a second to realize it was Eques, snorting and tossing his dark mane behind him. Sharon's voice echoed through him.

"Ruin, hurry! I'll take you back!"

I hurriedly approached the giant horse, overcome with relief that an escape route had appeared but suddenly my feet stopped at the edge of the Chain's shadow. I turned back, staring down the long twisting hallway.

A victorious sensation flooded through my body as I immersed into Eques' shadow with Alice in my arms.

"Goodbye, Cheshire."

* * *

><p><em>* Cough * Cough *<em> Break clapped his hand over his mouth, as blood seeped through his fingers.

"It seems I overdid it again." He muttered to himself, collapsing to his knees. His cane clattered on the ground beside him.

…_It also seems that the cat's little accomplice got away…_

Slumping forward, he took a moment to take in a few steady breaths, continuing to cough. _...No matter... _Gasping, more blood dripped from his smiling lips.

.._Rabbits are easily hunted…_

Break struggled to his feet but something caught his eye, a flickering glint of silver, deep with the pool of Cheshire's blood.

He reached forward, plucked it, and lifted it to his eye. ..._All you need is a trap... with a delicious carrot... _A quick smirk spread across his face once he heard the quiet ring of the bell.


	23. Chapter 21

"You idiot!"

A thudding noise followed by a small yelp caught Elliot's attention as he stopped in his tracks, slowly moving his eyes towards the study room on the left. The same sound repeated once again, louder this time.

Alarmed, he dropped to his knees and slowly but stealthily peeked through the slit of the door. At once, he caught sight of Vincent, his hair tied back with a long lavender ribbon, dressed in a black waistcoat and trousers, standing by the simmering hearth._ Vincent? What is he doing here? _Promptly, Elliott caught sight of another inside with Vincent, a small pale girl with short white hair and icy eyes. Blood trickled down her chin. "I am your master. You do well to remember that fact."

"I'm sorry, Lord Vincent." The girl whispered, her head bowed.

Vincent turned his back on her. "You are useless Echo… Bring out Zwei..." Vincent spoke with a darkness in his voice. "Bring out Noise."

Tears began to stream down the girl's face, crying as she collapsed on the ground, writhing in pain; her face sinking into the carpet. Elliot watched shockingly disturbed by the events at hand. A few moments later, the girl's body stilled and she quickly pulled herself up from the floor. She stared up at Vincent with crazed eyes.

"Master!" She shouted loudly, a wide grin stretched out on her face.

Elliott gasped when he recognized the voice. _That voice! …I've heard it before…inside my head! _A bead of sweat trickled down his neck.

Vincent turned around, lifting a finger to his mouth, leering down at the deranged but optimistic young girl. "I sincerely hope you to do not fail this time…Zwei." His eyes were terrifying. Elliot had never seen that look in Vincent's eyes.

_Vince?_

Vincent violently grabbed the girl from off the floor and pulled her close to him, nuzzling her cheek, and then her neck. She blushed, as he seductively ran his hand over her shoulder and down her arm.

Then, Vincent grabbed her hand and forcefully lifted it up in front of them. "If you ever touch Gilbert again…" Presenting a pair of sharpened scissors in his other hand, he gently placed her fingers in between the gleaming razor-sharp blades.

"_Touch Gilbert?….that girl! That girl...is the one...the one that manipulated me into hurting Gil! _Elliot grit his teeth, almost ready to barge into the room and confront the girl and Vincent. But at that moment, he stopped himself. He sunk against the door, his brain completely addled. Bringing the palm of his hand to his face, he sighed heavily. _Vincent had that girl use me to attack Gilbert and Ruin…no!...Gilbert wasn't the target...Vincent didn't want Gilbert harmed...he was...was he targeting Ruin?...but why?_

"Please don't make another mess for me." A familiar voice entered the room, causing Elliott to draw his attention back inside.

He gasped when his eyes lay on the headmaster, strolling into the room, with a carefree smile on his face. His robes trailed behind him.

"You've got it all wrong, Headmaster. I'm actually preventing another incident." Vincent calmly laughed, releasing Zwei who plopped on the ground. Vincent waved his scissors, smiling, then his eyes slid over to Zwei. "Leave and join the others."

Zwei nodded, still shaken up by the experience, and disappeared out the open window.

The headmaster lifted a full pot from the center of the table and poured himself a cup of tea. "Your actions have been… unsettling lately. The others are beginning to question you and your loyalties…Handing Alice to Pandora… even the incident with Ms. Collins…"

The Headmaster sipped his tea, then leaned back to position himself in one large beige chair beside the table.

Vincent snickered. "Coddling that wench was child's play…. Women are so willing to do anything…despicable really…whisper a little this and little that into their ears and their heart is in the palm of your hand."

"She was a Baskerville." The headmaster stated, harshly.

"Ha!" Vincent laughed, leaning up against the wall. "She was not…despite how desperately she wanted to be…she was nothing more than an informant."

"What?" The headmaster lowered his cup from his lips.

"It's like I just said. She was nothing but an informant." Vincent raised his pair of scissors in front of his eyes, snipping the air, as the two blades slid against one another. "That woman was quite the actress…but she really was a whore." Vincent tilted his head, meeting the headmaster's gaze with lusty eyes.

"So, she was gathering entail on both sides…" The headmaster bit his thumb after setting his cup down. "Very diligent of you, Vincent, tying up loose ends…"

"I couldn't have the Hatter sticking his nose in. He was already suspicious of her from the beginning. Perhaps I shouldn't have had Ms. Agatha engage that little Ruin so early…" Vincent leaned against the fireplace, playing with his scissors.

"Perhaps…" The headmaster raised his teacup again and took another sip.

"Headmaster, here's a question…" Vincent crept over to the headmaster's chair, smiling, meeting eyes with the headmaster. "What will you do? ...Little Alice is not in the protective custody of Pandora anymore…but in the bloodthirsty hands of the little Ruin now…" Suddenly, the teacup dropped from the headmaster's hands, and thumped against the floor. Tea spilled all over the carpet, and settled into a large stain.

Suddenly, a gloved hand appeared out of nowhere and sharply cupped over Elliott's mouth before he had time to struggle. His words became muffles as he tried to shout. Wrestling with his attacker, he caught sight of Vincent, face-forward, his mocking eyes on Elliott. Elliott noticed his lips moving, as if he was talking to him in a whisper.

_Goodbye little brother…_

* * *

><p>Ruin… Ruin, are you okay?" Sharon's voice echoed in my head. I could make out her face, as hazy as it was. Terrified, she kept turning her head to another, a woman with short dark hair and thick-rimmed glasses. I recognized her as the one who took care of Gilbert when he was injured—Nurse Abbing. "Will Ruin be okay?" Sharon questioned; her eyes wide with worry.<p>

"Don't worry, Miss Sharon. The bleeding has stopped and the wounds are stitched up." Nurse Abbing flashed Sharon a reassuring smile.

Sharon nodded. "Thank you so much, Ms. Abbing."

"It's no problem." Nurse Abbing laid a hand on Sharon's shoulder.

"I should have been there for her… I could have saved her earlier." Tears welled up in Sharon's eyes.

"Miss Sharon, you can't blame yourself…"

Sharon lowered her head and rubbed her eyes.

Suddenly, Ms. Abbing grasped Sharon's shoulder. "Her?" The bespectacled woman gave Sharon a perplexed look. "Miss Sharon…you are mistaken."

"What?" Sharon met Nurse Abbing's confused gaze.

"...Ruin is a boy."

"Huh."

I could see it in Sharon's eyes. She was completely lost, as if reality shattered around her.

"Ruin." Sharon leaned over me, her eyes meeting mine. I felt comfort, despite the conflict shown behind her eyes. It was as if she completely ignored everything Ms. Abbing said, and just clung to the belief that no matter what, I was her friend. I was someone important to her, despite my betrayal.

"Sharon, what…"

"Ms. Abbing, do you mind if we have a moment alone?"

The quiet woman bowed understandably then disappeared from my line of sight. As soon as I heard the door close, Sharon grabbed hold of my hand.

"You're going to be alright, Ruin… You passed out from blood loss when you came through Eques' shadow. Your wounds are stitched up now… Just take it easy." Sharon smiled with watery eyes.

Suddenly, without warning, she clung to me, and began sobbing. "I'm sorry! So sorry, Ruin!" Her wet tears sunk into my newly changed white nightgown.

"Sharon, why are you apologizing? …None of this is your fault." I smiled, weakly. "Why are you blaming yourself?" Sharon stared up at me. "Stop blaming yourself for something so stupid. You saved me, Sharon …Thank you."

Her fingers dug into my ribs from both sides, as she hugged me closely, crying. Sniffling, she whispered. "Why, Ruin, did you not tell me…? I'm so embarrassed…so stupid, so stupid."

I laid my hand atop her head, gently stroking her hair. "I made a promise."

"Please Ruin, please don't keep secrets from me too. Not you too." Sharon buried her flushed face into my chest.

"…I'm sorry… Sharon…"

Suddenly there was a tapping noise on the door. I didn't have the strength to move my head to see but Sharon's voice sounded happy to see whoever was at the door.

"Ruin, are you okay?" Gilbert appeared in front of me. His expression; pathetically worried as always. I smiled, weakly.

Next, Oz and Ada joined Gilbert at his side. Ada, still slightly dazed, reached out and grabbed my hand. Her beautiful eyes gazed into mine.

"We're all so glad you are alright Ruin. When we heard what happened, we were all so worried. We rushed over as soon as we heard." Oz had tears in his eyes but he tried to keep a happy face.

As I stared around at everyone, I felt this warmness in my heart, as if a blanket had been wrapped around me. A peaceful moment it was, with all of the people I had met, my friends as Ada called them. The pain from my wound had faded and I couldn't feel anything but sleepiness. I held tight onto Ada's hand, the tranquil serenity of her grip on me.

* * *

><p>Her eyes were still closed as if she was Snow White in a never-ending sleep. The bruises that covered her body were all covered with ice-cold compresses.<p>

As I watched her, the strain from tilting my head grew surprisingly; I became more and more perplexed by my emotions. I tightened my fist, and felt a shock of pain spike up my arm. Hearing the steady breaths of Alice unnerved me, just gazing on her poisoned me…I couldn't take it anymore.

With all my strength, I forced myself to sit up in bed, first staring at my hands, then my gaze wandered back to Alice. _Some luck I have… _As I traced over Alice's face, I realized something. _I have Alice, don't I? …Yes, Alice is mine…_

Clenching my shoulder, I slid out from under the long white sheet of the hospital bed with slight ease, careful not to disturb Gilbert whose head rested upon the corner of my bed, and Oz sleeping soundly beside a still bedridden Ada_. It's still pretty early… _My bare feet touched the cold floor shockingly, and I slowly made my way over to a comatose Alice. _Surely this time…_

Suddenly, there was a tapping noise behind me, like footsteps. I whirled around to face the intruder, gasping when I recognized a familiar face.

"Headmaster?"

His violet eyes were gentle and affectionate, unlike his crazed expression from before… _when he placed a knife to my throat! _

The headmaster walked into the room, approaching me with a steady stride. Reaching out his hand, I jolted when his hand plopped down on my shoulder.

"Tch!" Pain spiked through my arm. I tried to catch my breath as my knees buckled.

"Now, why are you up?" A grin spread out on his face as his fingers dug into my shoulder. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

I grit my teeth. _Damn! _

A glint of silver slicing towards his face prompted the headmaster to release my arm, and he jerked away from me. I only managed to cut a few strands of his hair.

"Prepared for anything, are we?" The headmaster traced a finger down his face, tilting his head, curiously.

"No." I glared at him, with my sharp knife pointed directly at him. _This is actually silverware… _I smirked.

Lifting up his hands in defense, he smiled tenderly. "Come now. Don't be so paranoid. I'm only here to protect Alice." He stepped closer.

My eyes grew. "Protect Alice?"

He placed a hand upon his chest and bowed. "It is my obligation." His eyes struck mine, cold and unnerving. "And I won't let you disturb that."

"I see." I watched him pull out a long dagger, the blade gleaming bright.

My eyes veered over to Alice's sleeping face. "Sorry…" I held my carving knife up to Alice's throat. "But this is my obligation."

The headmaster's smile disappeared and his countenance became terror-stricken.

"Ruin! Stop!" Sharon's voice screamed, and she flung towards me in tears just as I was about to slash Alice's throat, but I suddenly felt a rush behind me. As I turned my head, I caught a glimpse of the headmaster's cruel face, and he swiftly grabbed my arm. Glaring at him, his grip grew tighter.

I could hear Sharon shouting at the top of her lungs. The voices of Gilbert and Oz also broke out but I couldn't hear what they were saying. My heart was beating too loud.

Both my arms were seized; I couldn't move them despite how much I tried.

Looking down, I noticed the knife was pressing into Alice's throat hardly enough to cause a small drop of blood to trickle down her collarbone. I ground my teeth, struggling to break free. Anger flooded through me.

The headmaster leaned against me, his lips whispered in my ear. "**You will not harm Alice**."

"You can die with Alice!"

Taking the opportunity at hand, I pushed my body back, raising my hands above my shoulders, twisting his wrists. His grip weakened, and taking advantage of his failure, I twisted around, colliding against his body. His body became limp, but his hands clasped onto my clothes, as he uttered a small agonizing groan. His body was warm, as I leaned against it, feeling the trembling taking over as he plunged into shock. His breath against my neck grew rampant and his voice grew hoarse.

Quivering, I stepped away from him, slowly taking my knife from him, from deep within his flesh. Steadily sliding the knife from his chest, I heard the headmaster gurgle from within his throat, a sickly noise that set my teeth on edge. Crimson blood decorated the blade of the knife, drops pattering against the floor.

"Alice…" The headmaster fells to his knees, slumping over, but his eyes desperately watched Alice's face with a terrible sadness. "Alice…" Tears slid down his cheeks, and mixed with his blood lathering upon the ground. "Alice…forgive…me…" His breaths grew raspier, slowing down, as his head lowered, and his eyes weakened. Noticing them beside their beds, with petrified expressions, I glanced towards Gilbert and Oz then faced Sharon.

Sharon backed away against the wall, her eyes frozen to me, with my blood-red knife before the headmaster's corpse.

"Sharon…he was going to…he was going to take Alice…" I stated, turning around to face her. "I couldn't let it happen...You know that right?" I smiled tenderly at Sharon's horrified visage. "He was... going to kill me."

Crimson stained my hands, as I advanced towards Sharon, reaching out with open arms. "...Sharon." My arms closed tight around her, pressing her close to me.

Burying her face into my chest, she clung to my clothes with her small fingers and sniffled. "...It's okay, Sharon...Everything is alright." I smiled, noticing the blood on my hands sinking deep into Sharon's beautiful salmon dress. "It's alright..."

* * *

><p>The tall shadow stood by the tallest window, gazing up into the night sky, observing the glimmering stars scattered across the darkness. Drawing closer to the shadow, I couldn't help but observe the stars too, wondering at their beauty and their brightness, despite being so far away. Once I stood by the shadow, I whispered, "Let me tell you something…if you so much as go near Alice again…" I gripped the knife in my right hand and pressed it into the man's side. "…I will carve your eyes out of their sockets…" I licked my lips. Vincent turned his head ever so slightly and smirked.<p>

"Scary."

My wide shadowy eyes trailed over his sneering face. "I mean it."

"Of course. I can see the bloodlust in your eyes…" His tender eyes met mine.

"Where is the Lady Sharon?" Vincent whispered.

"In bed."

He gazed out the window. "So the others have seen the real you...it will only be a matter of time until they turn against you. You've already been betrayed once, now twice by the Hatter...why trust anyone?"

As I stared at him, he stared back at me, observing my deadpan look. But at this, he chuckled, turning his back on me.

"Despite what you may think, I don't hate you." Although, his back was turned to me, it was like I could see his expression just by the tone of his voice. It was gentle, not at all like he usually talked. "It just turned out this way because of the way things are. I must admit that I am a bit jealous of you but Gilbert is happy around you... It's just like before, isn't it?" Vincent whooshed around, facing me with a sinister smile. "Even when we first saw you, you didn't treat us like the rest. Is it because you saw yourself in us or was it pity?" Vincent covered his red eye with his open hand.

"What are you talking about?"

"It hasn't come back yet...I thought for sure it would by now...seeing as you know who Alice is..." Vincent gave an unsatisfactory groan.

I could only hear words in my head. I couldn't see the pictures, the memories that were not there.

"It's strange …I remember you…but not Gilbert. Your voice and your eyes…are all I can remember. You say we knew each other…"

"Yes, it was a hundred years ago." Vincent placed a hand on his cheek, smiling.

"A hundred years ago?"

"Yes…a hundred years ago, after being abandoned by our own parents...Gilbert and I traveled from town to town, searching for a place to belong…we never stayed anywhere for long…" He stared at the ground, smiling. "That's when we saw you…watching us with those curious eyes... Your empty eyes said all... you were hopeless as well, searching for the same place we were." Vincent walked closer to me. "Although it was a shaky start, we had become something like a family…the three of us against this cruel world…"

"What?"

"It may come as a shock to you…but your memories were stolen so of course you wouldn't remember..." His gaze fell upon the window, focusing on the night sky and its bright stars.

"We banded together, survived the cold and the hunger, all to find a place we belonged…"

"How do you remember this?" I asked, confused.

"Even after a hundred years, you don't forget these kind of things." Vincent smiled, twirling a lock of his blonde hair.

"Why would you try to kill me? You, Gilbert, and me…if we were together as children, why would…?"

"You misunderstand…" Vincent's words were cold. "It doesn't mean anything to me…our past together…I tried to kill you because I want you dead. I want you to die. You are just a hindrance, an obstacle that is in my way. I have to remove you…"

My eyes locked onto Vincent, and my lip trembled.

"Anyone seeking Alice must be silenced. She has a purpose…you will just make a mess of things."


	24. Chapter 22

There was something calming about staring out at the night sky despite all the bizarre and sinister events that had taken place. Gazing intently at the floating moon, I rested my chin on my palm and leaned against the window frame.

"_It doesn't mean anything to me…our past together…I tried to kill you because I want you dead. I want you to die."_

"That creep." Resting both my arms on the sill, I dug my head between them.

"Ruin, what's wrong?"

Peering behind me, I grumbled, "Your brother... is one complicated bastard."

A tray with tea and other confectionaries in his arms, Gilbert stood, puzzled by my comment, but then he suddenly gave a stern look and set the tray carefully on a nearby table.

He peered at my bandaged shoulder. "Honestly.. I don't think it is wise for you to be out and about like this at this hour. You should be in the hospital wing resting."

"What? I can't talk with you in private, Gilbert?" I eyed him.

"I didn't say that. I just think you should be resting is all. You did reopen your wound with that little stunt of yours later today." Gilbert folded his arms.

"It was my own carelessness." My eyes sunk to the floor. "Though, that man was truly planning to kill me... " I sighed. "It's going to be a lot harder to get close to Alice now... I didn't realize that my goal was undesirable to so many... including your brother."

He approached me. "Ruin, please stop brooding. I won't allow my brother to harm you."

"Can you promise that, Gilbert?" I gave a little smile. "He is your younger brother after all."

Gilbert backed away a few feet.

With a steady swagger, I pushed myself away from the window and faced him, crossing my arms behind my back. "If you had to choose between a stranger you haven't seen for a century and your own brother—no matter how you feel about him, who would you choose?"

At that moment, Gilbert's golden eyes widened and stilled, motionless, staring into space.

"I wouldn't blame you, you know… In fact, it's to be expected. You two **are** brothers." I lightly brushed his arm of his coat as I glided past him. "You've done much for me already."

Suddenly, my arm was snatched and suddenly tugged from behind me.

"You're such a fool. How could you say that after everything that has happened?"

_Gilbert? _My eyes scanned over his, confused by the tenderness within them.

"You are not a stranger, Ruin...how could you think that? You are my brother as well."

_What?_

My body froze when Gilbert instantly shoved me backwards but gripped both my upper arms tightly. He leaned close, warmly staring into my eyes. "If I have to stand between you and Vincent, I will. I refuse to let my brothers kill each other."

"Will you, Gilbert?" I laughed softly. "I'm afraid you will be fighting more than you can handle in the near future. I really made a mess of things, first with dear Ada then the others found out...and now with that headmaster..."

"Ada? The others? What do you mean? ...You broke your promise?" Gilbert grit his teeth.

"I'm afraid so." Lowering my head, I smiled self-consciously and I hid my face from Gilbert. "I revealed my true "self" to her … Sharon and Elliot sort of found out by accident." I gave an awkward smile.

"Why did you do this?" Gilbert questioned, his facial expression twisted with anguish and anger. I caught trace amounts of a blush on Gilbert's face. "How did you.. ?"

"I…I kissed Ada." I murmured, touching my lips and steering my blue eyes clear of Gilbert's golden eyes. "…I'm fond of her."

Startled, Gilbert let go of my arms and backed away from me.

"Gilbert, what's wrong?" I asked, curiously stepping towards him. "Gilbert, it's not the end of the world. Everything is just fine. I hid my gender as you suggested but honestly what good did it do. They were all going to find out eventually. Did you really think we could keep up this charade?"

Gilbert stayed silent despite my best efforts to cheer him up.

What is it, Gilbert?"

His golden eyes veered over to the window as if inspecting the stars.

"Ruin, what are you doing?... And didn't you notice? Vincent is courting Ada."

Confused, I stared at him but then a snicker escaped my lips. I shook my head. "And you think I care…" I gave a stiff smirk. "I have to admit I would be so very happy if I was the one by her side always but... I would never manipulate her… I can't accept someone like Vincent by her side though…"

Feeling Gilbert tense up, I gently clutched his arm. "You don't have to worry Gilbert. I'm not going to do anything to Vincent… as long as he doesn't try anything funny…

"I figure just keeping an eye on him is enough for now…" I collapsed on one of the large velvety chairs, akin to a fluffy white cloud in the area of comfort. "It would be smart anyway… seeing that he's after my head and all… he's already tried once... Honestly, I should count myself lucky that Break came when he did. The Baskervilles sure are formidable. I was surprised."

"The one who attacked us was Zwei, also known as "Noise", a name given to her by Vincent." Gilbert rested his posture aside my chair, eying the gothic painting of a pale young girl with dark eyes on the wall. The small delicate girl reminded me of a doll. "She is the split-personality of Echo, Vincent's servant. While Echo is quite benevolent, Zwei is exceptionally merciless. Gilbert's beautiful golden eyes grew intense. "My guess is that she took control of Elliott to catch us off guard... Her target was you, Ruin, but I suppose due to her unstable personality, she did not recognize me and perceived me as a threat as well." I could sense the certainty in his voice.

I remembered Vincent's words. It's_ a pity that Zwei didn't do her job..._

_So that's what he meant by Zwei..._"This person...Zwei...Noise...Echo...do you think she will attack again?" I asked, teetering my head in Gilbert's direction.

"For the time being...no. It would be too risky a time to mount an attack, even for Vincent. So please don't make any more rash decisions for the time being." Gilbert said under his breath.

"Huh?" Folding my arms behind my head, I stared up at the ceiling. "I guess…"

Plopping down in the seat opposite to mine, Gilbert lowered his head as if he was succumbing to his thoughts. He was clearly troubled but I could feel a scary aura emitting from him, an aura that was constructed to block out everything.

"So… let me guess, you like her too, Gilbert? …Ada I mean." I guessed, softly.

"She's special to me. Like a little sister." Gilbert explained, turning his head.

"Oh? Oh, yes, that's right. I forgot. You and her were childhood friends, with you being her brother's servant and all." I tilted my head towards Gilbert. "Don't worry Gilbert. Nothing will happen to her …I'll make sure of it."

Uneasy and perplexed, Gilbert looked back at me as if waiting for more of an explanation but his eyes revealed his hunch beforehand.

"Have you forgotten? The headmaster is now dead. Only you, me, and Break know about what truly happened to Ms. Collins. One less person to alert the authorities about Ms. Ada's apparent misconduct."

"Was that your plan all along?" Gilbert narrowed his eyes.

"No… it just worked out that way. That fool…he ruined everything." I answered honestly but I could see the suspicion and fret behind Gilbert's eyes all too clearly. It was as if he was in a conflict with himself, struggling whether he should trust me or not.

However, there was a part of me that thought that was for the best, the best for him that is.

"Ruin?"

_I never want to have to lie to him or anyone ever again…_

"Ruin?"

"Huh?" I snapped my head up in surprise.

"It's late. You should get some rest." Gilbert's eyes were different than usual, not warm now, but almost apathetic and cold.

"I suppose so."

* * *

><p><strong>~A COUPLE DAYS LATER~<strong>

"Ada?" My hand rested atop hers as her soft gold eyes lingered over to me. "Are you there?"

Craning my head, I tried to meet her glazed gaze. "…Ada?" My voice was the only voice, the only noise in the empty hospital wing.

There was nothing but painful silence. I waited for a sound though.

Anything.

A sign that she knew I was there by her side.

Anything.

My other hand played with her long fair hair, running fingers through the silky strands with ease.

Ada's beautiful golden eyes suddenly turned their attention away from the window and onto to me; I could see her crumbling strength behind them.

Her face, despite all its sadness and pain, still caught rays of light. There was still vibrant life within her.

Past the dark circles beneath her eyes and her pale skin similar to the appearance of the doll-like girl in the gothic painting, a shred of the Ada I once knew remained there.

I removed my hand from her hair and laid it upon her cheek, gazing into her eyes. "I'm sorry… I haven't visited you in a while, have I?"

My eyes sunk to the floor. "You see…I can't stand it…seeing you in this state…"

_Do you like anyone, Ruin? Is it a secret? It's all right. You don't have to tell. _

I grit my teeth as I grasped Ada's hand, holding it gently in my hand. "I care for you too much to let you suffer like this…I don't know what to do."

_...But are ruin's not also beautiful to look at... _Ada's smile brightened my thoughts.

Slapping my other hand against my face, I desperately tried to hold it all back, but it was no use.

_You aren't alone... You have people that care about you, Ruin. Oz, Break, Gilbert, and even Elliot...they all care about you. _

My inner walls were breaking.

_Don't you know that?_

"Ada…tell me your pain…please…I want to know…" My trembling voice escaped through my convulsing breath.

Tears streamed down my face, and pattered on Ada's hand. "Please relieve yourself of this pain… I'll take it. I'll endure it all, every single sin…every affliction that causes you torment."

_We're your friends._

Fastening my eyes closed, I pressed my fingers into my skin, squeezing until the pain became as real as the sharp stinging on my lower lip.

* * *

><p><strong>~AFTERNOON~<strong>

"Alright, there's a test next week. I'm sure you all are studying. Do you best. You' re all dismissed." The flatness of the teacher's voice assured his carelessness despite his beaming smile.

The bell chimed, startling me out of my seat, but I kept my composure. Rubbing my eyes, I sluggishly collected my books, and followed the other students out of the classroom.

Once I crossed the frame of the door, a hand clapped on my left shoulder.

"Drifting off again." There was a strict sternness in Gilbert's voice.

I brushed off his hand.

"Ruin?" Gilbert's voice was now like a whisper. He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Sorry." My voice was cold, as I continued walking.

Suddenly, footsteps sprang up behind me. "Ruin, let's get something to eat. You haven't eaten all morning, have you?" Gilbert murmured in a consoling tone as he managed to keep my pace.

"Hmm." I didn't know exactly what to say to him. My entire body was weak, even my voice. I felt ashamed.

Gilbert continued to trail his gaze over me in worry. _  
><em>

Suddenly, a thought struck Gilbert.

"Ruin, how is your wound?"

Gilbert's loud whisper startled me, and as I jumped upright, my books almost fell from my hands.

My hand touched my right shoulder, feeling the bandages under my clothes.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not so much anymore. If it is that is what you are worrying about, Gilbert, don't. I'm fine." I turned my back on Gilbert and started forward.

"Gilbert!"

I stopped dead in my tracks and shifted myself around, noticing Sharon running towards Gilbert and I. She stopped before Gilbert, her flushed face dripping with sweat, panting as she desperately tried to speak.

"Sharon, are you alright? What is it?" Gilbert asked, startled.

"It's Elliot. No one has seen him for the past two days. This isn't like him at all. Elliot doesn't skip his classes."

"Well, when was the last time you saw him, Sharon?" Gilbert's voice was teeming with anxiety.

_Of course_, I thought, _it's his brother._

"I don't know. Last I heard he was making the rounds at school. He is one of the prefects." Tearfully, she avoided Gilbert's eyes. "He's been acting strangely lately. I should have known something was wrong."

"What do you mean, "acting strangely"?"

Sharon lifted her clenched fist to her mouth. "He's been keeping to himself a lot more than usual… studying strange books about the Abyss. Sometimes, he goes off somewhere but no one knows where…" Sharon's voice was shaky.

"Well, if that's the case, then he's probably off there right now. He's probably brooding somewhere." Gilbert gave Sharon a little smile, trying to give her some reassurance.

"No! That's not it, Gilbert!" Sharon shouted.

"Sharon?"

"He never skips class. He's always back before class starts. Something's wrong." Sharon's fearful expression sent a chilling sensation down my spine.

"I'm scared, Gilbert... A teacher is dead and now the headmaster is dead too. Elliot is missing... I'm scared... I'm so scared..." Trembling overtook Sharon's body as best as she tried to hide her fear, it controlled her and even she knew it.

"Why did you come here?"

Sharon's cold tone startled me. "Huh?"

"Why did you come here?" Sharon repeated as her eyes shot past Gilbert and fixed to me, darkness lingered within them. "**This is your fault.**"

My heart sank.

You came here around the time these horrible things started happening…Ms. Collins is dead…you yourself killed the headmaster. I don't understand. Is this all your fault? ... Ruin?"

I didn't say a word, even as I watched madness completely envelop Sharon.

* * *

><p><strong>~EVENING~<strong>_  
><em>

_My fault? Sharon says, "It's my fault."_

Staring unpleasantly at the book on the table, I bit my lip. My eyes caught the word _omen _on the page I had flipped to. Suddenly, a surge of anger welled up inside of me.

_I can't concentrate! _Turning in my seat, I slammed the book close, sending a sharp noise echoing through the library.

"SHHHHHSSHHHH!" The librarian shushed harshly.

My body froze.

With that, I forced my anger down, and leaned my body over to peer past the other tables, over to the librarian who stood, hands on her hips. Her eyes, like daggers, pierced me, and I shyly gave an awkward but apologetic sad excuse for a smile. She then sat down behind her desk.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I sat down as well, glancing at the book titled **Abyss **again then my gaze caught my open right hand.

_Is this all of my fault? Sure, I killed the headmaster, yes, but Ms. Collins' death… Elliot's disappearance…are those things my fault too… did they happen because of me? ...Or am I being a little too conceited?_

My eyes trailed back to the book. _So Elliot was researching the Abyss… I wonder why… _

_...It could be that he was suspicious of something… it could be on my account…but what if he knew something about the Baskervilles…or even Alice…?_

_ Either way if he did know something… there's a chance he could have been taken… _

_Agh! Why am I so concerned about Elliot? Why do I care? I should be focusing on Alice!_

I glared at the book. _This damn book is getting me nowhere!_

My stomach growled with hunger and I grimaced at the noise it created. "…I guess I should eat something. The dining hall hasn't closed yet I think."

The halls were strangely peaceful—noiseless. My footsteps seemed louder than usual, thundering upon the pallid marble floor, casting black shadows that pranced about the walls.

Broadcasting from the tall glass windows, the light from the sunset cast darker shadows that made the halls that much grimmer and oddly pensive, and as I sulked to the dining hall entrance and wrapped my fingers round the handle of the magnificent burgundy doors, a bad feeling crept its way inside me.

It was a hollow frightening thought that scratched at my mind. My heart felt cold. My skin trembled.

Once I had collected my food and had found an empty seat— surrounded by very few students who all paid me no heed— and continued eating, the feeling only intensified.

My stomach continued growling, as if it was an empty abyss that howled for something to fill it, but I couldn't even touch my food.

My body felt sick.

I could only stare at my food and long for it to fill my emptiness.

_Sharon…Oz…Ada… Elliot…_

_ I've lost them… _

_...that bastard Vincent…it pains me to say it but he was right…_

_what am I saying? I knew this would happen! ...But I deserve this! _

_I deserve everything! ...Hate me! ...I deserve it! _

_I'm such a fool! _My heart beat violently in my chest.

_Oz?_

_Oz's distant eyes appeared from out of his book, a petrified expression on his face. He drew away from me, as if I was something that did not exist anymore. _

_I was only a memory that was never to cross his mind again. _

_As he drew farther away from me, I knew that it was I that had caused it. I had caused this distance. He had seen "me". I reached my hand out._

_Oz?_

_Oz?_

_It's your fault! Sharon's poisonous words pierced my heart, and with each replay, more icy venom pumped into my numb heart. _

_Why did you come here?_

_Ada's agonized expression haunted my nightmares and daydreams. I could not rid myself of that memory, the thought akin to a constant knife penetrating my consciousness._

_She hates me…_

_Ada…I can't do anything… _

_She's in such pain…but I can't do anything… _

_Her pain has only worsened..._

_It's my fault!_

I tightened my grasp around my knife, and pressed my eyes close. Tears began to run down my cheeks.

Whispers began to arise around the room, but I ignored them.

Suddenly, there was a loud deep rumbling noise like thunder, followed by a resonating creak coming from the end of the dining chamber.

A piercing hollow came thereafter.

"Ruin!"

My eyes shot to the dining halls' entrance, spotting Gilbert in a mad craze wrenching the doors open.

"Ruin! Come quickly!" Gilbert's wild eyes were gleaming with tears. His teeth clenched together as he kept shouting.

"It's Ada! She tried to kill herself!"

At that moment, it seemed as if time suddenly became still.

I could no longer hear Gilbert's voice as he called out to me.

My eyes refused to blink even though the stinging air burned them but I could feel.

I could feel the hot tears stream down my face and I could feel my lungs in my chest tighten as if my breath itself was constricting them.


End file.
